Ringside Romance
by DouglassWolf
Summary: Tifa Valentine does not understand boxing. Her brother Vincent is a Newspaper editor who enjoys the sport. When he takes her to see the fight of a certain blonde boxer her world will turn upside down. CloTi, Yuffitine, T for now, Maybe change it later
1. Chapter 1

The noise, it was the first thing Tifa noticed as her brother pulled her up the steps to the stands. The screaming fans, the dull 'thud' as something was hit, the squeak of rubber on canvas. Then the smell hit her, the odor of sweat mixed with leather and canvas. Tifa looked up at the boxing ring, unsure of why her brother had insisted she come here to watch two idiots pound away at each other.

"Vincent, there had better be a good reason for me being here." Vincent Valentine looked down at his adopted sister, the typical brotherly love shining in his eyes somewhere behind the emotionless mask that he almost always wore.

"You're here to get away from those late night work sprees that you always find a way to pull into. So just relax and have some fun Teef." Tifa shot him a glare at the childhood nickname, but settled into the seat to endure, as she thought of it, an evening of pure torture. As she watched the two men currently in the ring, she thought of her comfortable desk and the work that she could be accomplishing. And as the fight below wore on, she found herself dozing.

A sharp elbow in her ribs woke her with a start. "You missed the introduction for the round!" Vincent had to shout to make himself heard over the crowd. Tifa shrugged and focused her attention on the ring. The two men inside were already glistening with sweat, which showered off into the audience with each blow. Tifa decided to at least thank her brother for not placing them at the ringside.

As the bell sounded for the rounds end, Tifa took a good look at the fighters. The man in the red corner was tall, and well muscled. His silver hair was short and shone with sweat and grease. His eyes bore a slightly sadistic quality to them. She rolled her eyes momentarily, '_typical muscle-bound jock_.' She thought.

Her eyes shifted to the man in the blue corner. A huge black man in a black sweater that proudly bore the silver words "Spawn of Fenrir" blocked her view of the fighter. "_Probably just another muscle-bound idiot with nothing between the ears."_ She thought.

As the black man moved out of the ring, Tifa finally managed to get a good look at the fighter. The mans well-developed musculature sported several scars, but was impressive to say the least. A shock of spiky blonde hair set him very much apart from most of the fighters she had seen on television and in movies. He moved with a fluid grace that seemed almost hypnotizing.

As the bell sounded both fighters came out to the middle, moving cautiously. An almost eery silence filled the hall.

Vincent turned to her. "The first round was introductions. Each fighter letting the other know a little of what they're capable of. This round will probably be a..." He was cut off by the roar of the crowd as the two fighters began trading blows.

Tifa watched with little interest, preferring to look around the hall at the other spectators. Her eyes snapped back to the ring when she heard the crash of a body on the canvas. Silver hair was down, and didn't look like he was getting up. Ten seconds, and it was official. Chocobo hair, as she had decided to call the blonde fighter, had won.

As she got up to leave Vincent pulled her back down, not willing to let her leave just yet. They stayed for three more fights before Vincent decided he had enough. Tifa breathed a small sigh of relief as they left the hall, not noticing the small group of men standing near the door.

Vincent's hand on her shoulder made her stop before she ran into the man in the dark business suit. "Reeve, you're blocking the door." Vincent's voice made the man flinch. Turning around he grinned sheepishly, brushing a stray lock of hair out of his face.

"I guess I am. Sorry." Vincent just shook his head.

"Reeve, I'd like you to meet my sister." Reeve turned to Tifa, who offered him her hand.

"Tifa Valentine, a pleasure to meet you mister . . . " Reeve took her hand and brushed his lips across her knuckles before answering.

"Tuesti, Reeve Tuesti at your service. I didn't know that my employer had such a lovely sister." Vincent rolled his eyes, eliciting a jab in the ribs from Tifa's elbow.

"So Reeve, do you intend to introduce your friends or do I have to ask them?" Vincent asked. Reeve looked a little embarrassed.

"Sorry Vincent, I forgot." He placed his hand on the shoulder of a man with short blonde hair and a five o'clock shadow. "This is Cid Highwind. He's a trainer at a nearby gym." Cid looked at them.

"Pleasure ta meet ya." Reeve motioned to a younger girl in a pink sun dress.

"This is Aerith Gainsborough. She's a nurse at the local hospital." Aerith looked at Tifa and gave her a smile that melted her heart instantly.

"Hi, I'm Aerith," she said, holding out her hand. "What's your name?" Tifa shook her hand with a smile on her face.

"I'm Tifa, nice to meet you." Reeve then pointed at a tall, dark-haired young man who was looking at a vending machine.

"And last but not least, that is Zachary Fair, an up and coming fighter. He's Cid's charge." At the sound of his name, Zack walked over and put his arm around Aerith.

"Hiya, I'm Zack." He said, holding out his hand. Tifa shook it, then Vincent. Zack opened his mouth to speak but Cid clouted him upside the head before anything could come out.

"What the hell do you think you're doing here. You get back to the damn gym and finish your workout." Zack shrugged and jogged off. Reeve looked at Vincent.

"Sorry to take so much of your time. The article will be on your desk tomorrow morning." Vincent nodded.

"We should be going. Mister Highwind, miss Gainsborough, it has been a pleasure meeting you." Aerith smiled gently,

"I hope that we meet again soon." Vincent nodded. Cid rolled his eyes.

"Okay, are we done with goodbye's. I need to go make sure that idiot Fair is doing his damn workout." Vincent nodded again, and waved to the rapidly departing trainer. Reeve chuckled. "I'll see you tomorrow, Vincent."

"Take care Reeve." Vincent said as Reeve got into his car. Aerith stood there for a moment as Reeve sped off, then turned and walked down the street in the direction her two companions had gone. Tifa turned to follow Vincent as he walked toward his car, but ran into a wall of muscle.

"Hey, watch where you're going Spiky." A loud voice boomed out. "Are you alright missy?"

Tifa looked up at the man who had spoken. The large black man from the ring stared back at her, a mildly concerned look on his face.

"I'm fine, just a little surprised." She said. Relief flooded the man's features.

"Okay, good. Spiky here doesn't always watch where he's going."

"Hey Barret, are you just gonna diss Cloud all night, or are we going to get him back to Highwind?" Barret looked at the redhead.

"Right, Reno, we should be going. Sorry about that." Tifa thrust her hand out to Barret.

"I'm Tifa Valentine, pleased to meet you." Barret took her hand gently, as if it would break.

"Barret Wallace. The punk redhead is Reno Tarver, and the quiet fella is Cloud Strife. Sorry about running into ya like that but we've gotta go." Tifa nodded and walked away. Reno paused, looking after her.

"You know, she didn't look half bad." Cloud gave him a glare. Barret rolled his eyes.

"Reno, just get the car." Reno took the hint, and stopped talking.


	2. chapter 2

"I'm telling you, Tifa, it was so cool." Yuffie's large brown eyes almost rolled into the back of her head. Tifa laughed at her childhood friend's antics. She had been talking nonstop about the movie she had seen since they had arrived at the restaurant. Vincent glanced up from his food for a moment, a mildly irritated look on his face. "Yuffie, if you're going to talk all night, why not at least talk about something interesting." Yuffie took on an offended look.

"I'll have you know Mr. Valentine, that this movie was very interesting." Vincent just shrugged, then went back to his meal. Tifa giggled behind her fist. Her brother's interactions with Yuffie could be so amusing. She knew just as well as Vincent that getting Yuffie to stop talking was nearly impossible, and yet Vincent continued to try. "Yuffie, how was your visit with your father?" she asked. Vincent looked over at Tifa gratefully.

"Oh, don't remind me. That old guy is still trying to marry me off to some rich slug. I guess he's really never going to change." Vincent rolled his eyes in exasperation. Tifa gave him a warning glance that he ignored and went back to chatting with Yuffie. Vincent groaned. "_What am I doing here? I know that I don't like the incessant chatter that goes on whenever Yuffie is around and yet I still bother to come?_" He was brought out of his thoughts by a set of fingers snapping in his face. "Vincent, tell her about that boxing match you made me go to." Tifa said, annoyance a little obvious in her voice. Yuffie promptly went wide-eyed as Vincent launched into his account of the fights. Tifa held back a giggle. Boxing was one of the few topics that could get Vincent to match Yuffie for talkativeness. Vincent noted pleasantly that Yuffie looked like she was getting a headache. Deciding to be merciful he finished his description of the event. Yuffie gave Tifa a look that said 'point taken'. This time the giggles came out unbidden. "_I suppose that this evening turned out rather well."_ She thought.

The next day seemed normal enough for Tifa. She got up at the usual time, ate her breakfast, and left for her internship at the Midgar Memorial Clinic. As she walked up the steps to the hospital, she noted a slight chill in the air. "_Winter must be getting closer" _she thought. As she stepped through the doors, the clinic's matron noticed her from where she was standing at the desk. "Miss Valentine, I'd like a word with you in my office."

Tifa glanced at her watch. "Alright miss Telane. I'll be there in a moment." Shera Telane nodded slightly before going back to lecturing the secretary on her work ethic.

When she got to her locker, she was so engrossed in her thoughts of why the matron wanted to see her that she didn't notice a woman in a pink sun dress open up the locker next to her. "So you're the new intern?" Tifa jumped in shock.

"Um, uh, yes, yes I am." The young woman, whom Tifa now recognized as Aerith, smiled gently. "Has the matron asked to see you yet?" she asked. Tifa looked down.

"Yes, and I don't know why."

Aerith watched her for a moment, then that beautiful smile got even bigger. "Don't worry about it. Miss Telane always has the interns come to her office the first day to let them know what they'll be doing, and to get to know them a little better."

Tifa didn't look so sure. "Is that really all that happens there?"

Aerith's laughter reassured her instantly. '_It sounds so beautiful._' Tifa thought. Her next thoughts were lost as Aerith pulled her into a gentle hug. As she pulled away, and Tifa's surprised look came into view, her laughter sounded out in the room again.

"You should get used to that kind of thing quickly. With a few exceptions, most of the girls here will just come up to you and give you a hug if you look like you need it." Aerith paused to glance at her watch. "I had best be going. Have a good day."

Tifa watched as Aerith walked away. Then she turned to go to the matrons office.

* * *

Vincent gazed out the window, utterly bored with the chatter of the board members. The meeting was supposed to take longer than this, but all relevant issued had been dealt with very rapidly. "Mr. Valentine. If you wish, you may go and look at the applications for the position of secretary. I've taken the liberty of setting out the three that I think most suited for the job."

Vincent nodded at the man. "Thanks Mark. I'll look them over." Mark Hamilton, Vincent's longtime friend and basketball correspondent, grinned like a Cheshire cat.

"If I were you, I'd go with Miss Kisaragi. Her resume is quite impressive."

Vincent turned to look him in the eye. "Yuffie Kisaragi?" The words were out of his mouth before he could think about them. Mark studied him curiously.

"Yes, miss Yuffie Kisaragi. She is two years out of highschool where her marks in typing and management were top of her class. She acted as a replacement secretary for her school from her sophomore year through her graduation, even using the position as an internship during her senior year."

As they were talking Mark was leading Vincent out of the conference room, and toward his office.

"After graduation she was offered the position of the schools secretary but another company that had been watching the school made a better offer. Her two years between graduation and now were spent in the employ of Shinra Transportation Incorporated. She was laid off when the industry took a temporary nose dive a few months ago. Shinra failed to re-employ her when revenue picked up again."

Vincent sat down in his chair and looked at the three resumes that Mark had laid on his desk.

"So miss Kisaragi is, in your mind, the best choice?" he asked. Mark nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes, I've already called both her school and Shinra to ask about her. The school states that her grades are the best they've ever had, and Shinra himself said, and I quote, 'her abilities are top notch and her attitude impeccable,' now if that in itself is not a glowing recommendation I don't know what is."

Vincent stared at the application and thought about what Mark was telling him. "_Surely he misheard Rufus, I've known the man for years and he's never complimented his employees."_ He thought.

"Alright Mark, I'll do some of my own research. Thanks for the suggestions." Mark nodded and left as Vincent reached for the phone and quickly dialed a number. It rang for only a few moments before Rufus Shinra picked up the line.

"Hello, Rufus Shinra, may I ask who's calling?"

"Vincent Valentine, good to hear your voice again Rufus." Shinra's gasp of recognition could be heard over the phone.

"Vincent, good to hear from you, how have you been?"

"Just fine Rufus. Do you have your lunch break open today?"There was a pause in which Vincent could just see Rufus glancing at his calender.

"Yep, where do you want to meet?" Vincent thought for a second before answering.

"How about at Cissnei's?"

"Sounds good, I'll see you there."

"Right, thanks for being willing on short notice Rufus." Rufus laughed, his deep tenor voice echoing in the phone.

"What are friends for huh? I've got to go Vincent. It was good talking to you."

"I'll see you at lunch, bye."

As Vincent hung up the phone, he took one more look at the resumes in front of him, then stood and left the room to find Reeve.


	3. Chapter 3

Cloud swung his leg over the seat of his Fenrir motorcycle and walked toward the door. The Shinra brand vehicle contrasted sharply with the building it was parked in front of. The building sported the words 'Highwind Boxing Club' in simple, black print against the red brick of the walls. The windows revealed the boxing equipment inside, most of which was being used by the men inside.

As Cloud reached the door he noticed a scantily clad woman making her way toward him. He paused in the entryway, a little uncertain about this person. '_She looks like a street walker.' _He thought. Then he simply shrugged and stepped into the Club.

"Where the hell have you been, boy?"

Cloud winced as he was pounced on by his longtime friend and trainer.

"Sorry Cid, late night." he said in an emotionless voice.

"I don't want excuses, I want you to get on with your damn workout. Now get to it."

Cloud nodded and walked towards the locker rooms. Cid watched him for a moment then turned as the door opened. It took him only a moment to look over the young woman as she closed the door behind her.

"Get the fuck outta here girl, my boys don't consort with prosties."

"Mr. Highwind, I am offended that you think of me as a street whore. I am a reporter from the Midgar..."

"Yea, sure, whatever. If you dress like that there'll be a lot more people who do more than just assume that you're a damn prostie. Now what the fuck were you saying about being a reporter?"

"I am Scarlet Jolinson, a reporter for the Midgar Times. I've come to interview some of your fighters."

Cid glared at her for a while before turning away. "Go ahead, they're right there."

"Thank you." Scarlet looked over towards the two rings placed toward the back of the gym. Two fighters were engaged in a sparring match in one of them. In front of them the gym opened up into a large room with heavy bags hanging from the ceiling. To one side several double end bags, head size bags with elastic cords attached to the floor and ceiling, swayed and bounced as the fighter hit them.

Scarlet looked around to the other side of the gym. On that wall, visible to the public because of the large window nearby, several younger men were hitting speed bags. Other various pieces of exercise equipment was placed neatly in localized areas of the building.

She finally spotted the man she was looking for as he came out of the showers. She started towards him but ran into a wall of muscle. Looking up, she saw the face of Zack Fair.

"Whoa, careful there. You need to watch where you're walking around here." he said with a chuckle. Scarlet glared at him for a moment before stepping around to continue to the man she had been targeting.

Rude Siever glanced up at the young woman approaching him. Everything about her all but screamed arrogance. He rolled his eyes behind his ever present sunglasses. He had dealt with her kind before, and knew how difficult they could be. And now, as the reporter walked towards him, he was already putting on the calm, cold face that reporters new so well.

"Mr. Siever, may I ask you a few questions?" Rude glanced at her for a moment before answering with a shrug and a non-committal grunt. Scarlet was in no way discouraged. She had seen how Rude could be when it came to reporters, and was no stranger to dealing with him herself. She simply began asking her questions.

"So mister Siever," she began. "Your last fight was certainly a thriller, would you say that your opponent was difficult for you, or were you simply taking it easy on him?" Rude didn't respond to the question. "Mister Siever are you going to answer me?" Rude simply shook his head. Scarlet's eye seemed to twitch. "Are you going to answer any of my questions?" Rude's shoulders shrugged upward for a moment. Scarlet appeared slightly indignant. "Fine, I'll switch topics. Who would you say is the current hope of this gym?" Rude glanced at her.

"Zack." was his monotone reply. Scarlet looked over toward the younger man.

"Him? He seems a little too laid back." she said. Rude watched his junior for a moment before answering. "You ever wondered why Sephiroth quit the ring and opened that gym of his?" Scarlet shook her head. "I assumed he was tired of fighting and wanted to train other boxers."

"No such desire. Cloud over there beat Sephiroth in his debut match. Sephiroth couldn't handle being beaten by a rookie and opened that gym to train a boxer who could beat Cloud. And not just beat him, Sephiroth wants the kid out of the ring for good."

Scarlet thought for a moment. "So he's training a boxer who can permanently injure Cloud. So that he can't fight anymore?"

"Yea."

"But what does that have to do with Zack being this gym's golden hope?"

"Zack has beaten Cloud on three separate occasions. Twice while attending different gyms." Scarlet watched Rude's face for a moment before speaking. "Which gyms did he attend?"

Rude looked at her like she had just spoken blasphemy. "It's not my place to say." With that he simply walked away. Scarlet took a moment to process all that she had taken in before walking to the gyms door and leaving.

Cid watched as Cloud worked the heavy bag. As usual, Cloud never failed to impress Cid with the way he kept the 160 pound bag under his complete control, always stopping it mid-swing before blasting it back the other way. Cid looked at his watch, not really noticing the time. He already knew how long Cloud had been firing at the bag. "Time! Get on with your damn road work. When you get back you'll do some sparring."

Cloud gave a quick nod before he left. As he closed the door Cid turned to Zack. "What're you staring at Fair?" Zack glanced at the door.

"Just wondering how long he's going to stay out of a relationship."

"What the fuck are you talking about?" Cid asked. "Is your head screwed on straight?"

"Afraid it is coach." Zack said. "I was just thinking that maybe Cloud needs a girlfriend." Cid's eyebrows went up a fraction.

"So that's what's eating ya. Well stop your worrying. Clouds got other things on his mind that have nothing to do with girls." Zack looked at the older man.

"Yea. You're right Cid. I just think he gets, lonely." Cid watched the door for a moment.

"Maybe so, but it's none of our damned business."

* * *

Vincent glanced at the cars that were parked outside of Cissnei's Diner. "_Leave it to Rufus to be late for lunch._" He thought, when he noticed that the large, green Cadillac that Rufus usually drove wasn't there yet. As he walked through the door, Cissnei Warren, proud and undeniably attractive owner of the diner, gave him a quick wave. Vincent gave an easy nod in return. He had known Cissnei for a few years now and had often stopped by for his lunch break. Quickly finding a seat, he pulled out a small book and started reading it.

"So how's life Vince?" Cissnei's question pulled him out of the book for the present.

"As hectic as ever." he replied.

"Can I at least get your order, or do I have to drag it out of you?"

"I'm waiting for Rufus right now, so I'll order in a bit."

Cissnei nodded and left to deal with another customer as Vincent went back to his book. A few minutes later Rufus sat down on the opposite side of the table. "How ya doing Vinny?" He quipped. Vincent just shook his head, chuckling. Rufus was a ruthless businessman, but no one that Vincent knew could keep a straight face when Rufus was around and not trying to promote his transportation company, Shinra Transport.

"No worse that you are Rufus." he said. There was a short pause as Cissnei came over and took there orders, as well as some good natured flirting from Rufus. Vincent barely succeeded in holding back his laughter as Cissnei nearly knocked Shinra from his chair after he tried to kiss her.

"One of these days she's going to knock you out Rufe." He chuckled lightly. Rufus attempted to appear indignant, failing miserably.

"Never mind that, what was it that you wanted to talk about?" he asked. Vincent pulled out the profile on Yuffie from his suitcase.

"One of my boys told me this girl worked for you for a while." he said. Rufus nodded.

"Yea she did. Excellent work ethic, positive attitude, very good secretary all around. You planning on hiring her?" Vincent shrugged.

"Not sure yet, but it would seem that she's the best person for the job." Rufus watched his friends face carefully for a moment.

"Vincent, you'll be doing yourself and your magazine a favor by hiring her. Take it from me, don't let her attitude outside of work throw you off." He threw a quick glance at his watch. "We've only got a few minutes to eat so occupy what attention you have left with what's on your plate." Vincent let a soft snort escape at Rufus' swift change of topic, then did as suggested, tearing into the large hoagie in front of him.

* * *

Tifa came out of Shera Telane's office with a smile on her face. The meeting she had been dreading had been very pleasant. Not at all what she had expected. As she went down the hall to her first duties of the day, she found her mind wandering in an unexpected direction.

sorry it took so long to get this chapter up. please read and review. positive criticism always helps.


	4. Chapter 4

As Cloud pulled his Fenrir into the parking spot in front of his apartment, he allowed himself a quick glance around before he opened the bike storage compartments. Pulling the groceries into his arms and turning toward the door, he was greeted by a large, reddish-brown Alaskan malamute.

"Hey Nanakee, how ya doing boy? Denzel back yet? Go get him." Nanakee trotted off as if looking for the five-year-old. Cloud chuckled. '_It's almost as if he can understand what I'm talking about._' he thought.

"Cloud!" Denzel's voice brought him out of his thoughts and back into his home.

"Hey sport. How's my boy?"

"I'm okay." Cloud smiled lightly as Denzel wrapped his arms around his waist.

"Denzel can't you wait until the groceries are on the counter before you try to tackle me?" Denzel just shook his head, hugging Cloud even tighter. Cloud could only sigh as he began putting the groceries away.

This was the way Clouds life had been for four years now. Ever since he had taken Denzel in after his mothers death. Cloud held back an involuntary sob as he thought about the girl who had been his best friend since kindergarten. He had been with Felicia in almost everything. He had celebrated with her when she got engaged to the man of her dreams, and cried with her when his firefighting career took his life away from her. The doctors had only been able to attribute her death to a broken heart.

Cloud's musings were broken by the sound of the phone ringing. '_This had better not be a telemarketer._' he thought before answering.

"Cloud here."

"Is your refrigerator running?" the voice on the other end of the line was annoyingly familiar.

"Zack, that jokes been overused, abused, and generally thrashed to death by none other than yourself. Now what are you calling me for?" Zack chuckled.

"Still don't have a sense of humor, huh Strife? Aerith asked me to get you out to dinner tonight." Cloud groaned. '_Leave it to Aerith to notice every little thing.'_

"Look Zack, you know why I can't do that. I can't leave Denzel alone. And I can't take to the places you and I generally go." Zack chuckled for a moment.

"Actually, believe or not, Aerith was the one who planned this. She wants Denzel along too."

"Alright, fine. We'll be there. Do you want us to meet you at the gym?" Zack's voice was muffled on the other side of the line for a moment.

"Yea, be there around seven. I'll see you then hotshot." Cloud hung up and shook his head. Leave it to Aerith to get him out of his apartment.

"Hey Cloud, what's for dinner?" Cloud glanced at Denzel, then reached over and ruffled the boy's already unruly hair.

"Aerith's treating us tonight." He watched as Denzel started jumping around in excitement at being treated to dinner by his 'auntie Aerith'. Cloud could only chuckle at the boys antics. Looking out the kitchen window, Cloud couldn't help but realize that Denzel needed a mother.

"_The question is, what girl would want to settle down with a guy like me?"_ he thought.

* * *

Vincent looked at the bright-eyed girl sitting across the desk. He had to admit that she looked like a career woman, her white blouse contrasting perfectly with her black skirt and tie. The bob haircut with its pink clip did little to dispel the image of a strict professional from the mind. Glancing back to her resume, he noted several minor details that seemed a little off.

"Miss Kisaragi, I notice that you have not been to college. Do you have plans for such a move?" Yuffie remained completely composed in spite of the fact that she knew her potential employer quite well.

"I am currently taking night courses for secretarial and management positions. If you wish to contact the college the information is in the resume." Vincent glanced at the education section of her resume. The information was there, just as she said.

"All right, I see no potential problems with hiring you as long as you keep things professional."

"I can assure you Mr. Valentine, I always keep things professional at work." Vince smiled at her statement as he offered his hand.

"Then allow me to be the first to welcome you to Midgar Sports miss Kisaragi. Now if you will follow me I'll show you around and outline your duties."

* * *

"So how was work Tiffy?" Tifa giggled at the childhood nickname that Grimoire Valentine had given her.

"It was fine dad. There was nothing serious, and the matron is a wonderfully motherly woman." Grimoire chuckled at this. Wrapping his arms around his daughter, he smiled contentedly.

"That's good. It's good to hear that you're doing well. Now run upstairs and take care of yourself. One of my friends is coming over for dinner and apparently dragging along his brother as well." Tifa glanced at her father.

"Is Vincent going to be home as well?"

"Yes, and apparently he's bringing his new secretary along." Tifa started at this.

"He's bringing Yuffie?" Grimoire spared her a glance for a moment.

"Yes, I believe she is the one he hired." Tifa rolled her eyes.

"_Poor Vincent. His business is going to suffer."_ she thought.

* * *

Evening came much too soon for Cloud. Aerith had called and informed him that they were having dinner at Reno's house, and that Reno had even gotten Cid to turn up. Denzel was all but bouncing off the walls in anticipation and had even stepped on Nanakee's tail once.

"Denzel, simmer down or we won't be going." Cloud called. Denzel immediately stopped and went wide eyed.

"Cloud, you wouldn't, not after auntie Aerith said you were going." Cloud chuckled.

"That doesn't mean I can't find a sitter." Denzel sat down in Cloud's armchair to pout, earning another chuckle from Cloud. Turning back to his room, Cloud looked at one of the pictures on his desk. A little girl's face showed an infectious grin, but the picture only brought a sad look to Cloud's face.

"_Marlene, you remind me so much of her."_ He thought. Looking at the second picture he bit back a tear. A beautiful young woman, her beauty only enhanced by the wedding dress she wore, smiled at the camera.

Cloud turned away from the picture. He couldn't look at it anymore without crying. He walked to the door without a second glance at the picture.

"Denzel, come on, we're leaving." Denzel raced into the garage and waited until Cloud was on the Fenrir bike before leaping on behind. Gunned the motor and squealed the tires for an instant before they gripped and sent them down the road.

* * *

Tifa sat on one of the three oversize sofas in her fathers living room. Grimoire's fatherly side showed in the way that he tried to make his home as simple and yet comfortable as possible.

"_Just like him to ignore the demands of fashion in favor of comfort."_ she thought. A soft giggle escaped her lips as she looked at one of the pictures on the wall.

"_Dad must have been half drunk when he took that one."_ Unlike many of the rumors around town, Grimoire had always been a cheerful man. He was always prone to random outbursts of good-natured humor, and even more so when drunk. Tifa could still remember the occasional mishaps that always seemed to lift her spirits.

A knock on the door disturbed Tifa's reminiscing.

"_That must be dad's guest."_ she thought as she stood up. When she answered the door, she was a bit surprised at who stood there.

* * *

Cid Highwind was walking down the hall of the clinic, following the doctor and the young man next to him. The doctor was currently telling the younger man about some bizarre theory he had about detached retinas and how common the problem was among boxers.

"Mr. Highwind, if you will be so kind as to wait in this room, a nurse should be along shortly to prepare you for the examination." Cid looked at the doctor for a moment before going into the room and sitting down in one of the chairs.

It wasn't long before the nurse showed up. Cid took the opportunity to size her up for a moment. _"Matron huh? They fucking giving me special treatment or something?"_

"Good day mr. Highwind. I am Shera Telane, the matron of the clinic. The other nurses were busy so you get to suffer through me." she looked down at the clipboard in her hand. "Doctor Hojo should be here soon so you won't have to wait long."

* * *

Vincent glanced at the clock placed over his door. _"5:30, time to go home."_

He stood easily, stretching his arms and back to relieve the cramped muscles. As he left the room, he looked at the secretary's desk. Yuffie was typing away at the computer. She looked up as he approached. "I'm almost done here mr. Valentine. Then we can go. And thank you for inviting me to dinner." she smiled as she spoke, obviously misunderstanding the reason he had made the offer.

"My father always treats my new secretaries to dinner to evaluate them. Today you just happen to be getting a little extra in the package." Yuffie looked slightly crestfallen at this, but only for a moment.

"Then I suppose I'll just have to do my best to impress him." Vincent rolled his eyes. This was going to be a long night.

Sorry I was so long in getting this one up. Major case of writers block. I promise that I'll try to fit a fight into either the next chapter or the one after, please try to be patient with me. Other than that, please read and review. I appreciate the feedback.


	5. Chapter 5

As Cloud pulled into Reno's driveway, he noticed that there was an extra car there. Zack's old Chevy Impala sat in the usual place right across the street, and Aerith's Bug stood right behind it. Reno's Mustang would be in his garage, and Rude's Dodge Dakota sat outside on the left. But the bright pink 1955 Chevy Corvette next to Rude's Dodge was unfamiliar. Cloud shrugged it off and parked his bike behind Zack's car and let Denzel jump off.

When they reached the door Aerith was already there, hands on her hips. "Cloud, did you have to ride your bike with Denzel? You could have taken your Dodge." Cloud just grunted and rolled his eyes. Zack's laughter boomed out from behind Aerith.

"Aerith, he can't, his truck's broken down. And besides, it's a Chevy C-20, not a Dodge. You should know Cloud only trusts Shinra's and Chevies." Aerith glared at him for a moment.

"For your information, Zachary Fair, I have never had reason to look closely at Cloud's pick-up. And since Dodges and Chevies looked kind of alike you can't expect me to know the difference."

Cloud rolled his eyes again. "Look, as fascinating as this argument is..."

"Don't you start too Cloud Daniel Strife!" Aerith all but barked at him. Cloud stopped talking, shook his head and walked past her into the house.

/

Tifa stared at the man at the door for a moment before she suddenly enveloped him in a massive hug. "Rufus, it's so good to see you. How have you been? Are you eating well? How's your father? Why don't you say anything?" Rufus was still in shock from being glomped by Tifa. Lazard Shinra stood behind him, laughing his head off. "I don't think he can say anything right now, you aren't giving him a chance to." he managed between howls of laughter. Tifa gasped and let go of her childhood friend. Rufus stumbled a little before he regained his composure.

"Geez Tif, I didn't expect that you would be that happy to see me." Tifa smiled at him.

"And why wouldn't I be. I haven't seen you in years. What have you been up to?"

"Quite a bit, I'm sure that you've seen a few cars on the road with the Shinra brand mark?" Tifa looked thoughtful for a moment.

"Now that I think about it, I have seen some of them. But I thought that your father had started a new company." Rufus shook his head, but Lazard cut in.

"Shinra Transportation Inc. is Rufus's alone. His brainchild, as it were. Dad has little interest in the company." Tifa nodded remembering the old man's obsession with the clinic.

"Speaking of your father, how is he?" Rufus looked at Lazard for a moment, as if silently asking permission to tell her. Lazard looked at her, a sad look on his face.

"Not the best Tifa, he's overworked. He's long overdue for a vacation, but he just won't take one. Mom's worried that he may just collapse one of these days."

The quiet was broken as Vincent spoke behind them. "Tifa, are you going to invite them in or do I have to do it for you?" Tifa grinned a little sheepishly.

"Whoops, sorry. Would you like to come in?" Lazard couldn't resist the temptation to play with her mind.

"Well, seeing as your father invited me and Rufus, I suppose it would be rude to refuse." Vincent simply pushed Rufus inside, then stood aside to allow Yuffie in. He glanced at Tifa, who smile innocently, shook his head and went inside.

/

Cid turned as he heard the door open. A man in a lab coat stepped in, pushing his glasses a little higher on his nose.

"So, you are mister Highwind, correct?" Cid nodded. "Very well. Now if you would be so kind as to remove your shirt, we can begin the examination." Cid complied without a word. He felt slightly irritated at this man already. The man's voice seemed to grate on his nerves, and he looked as though he viewed himself as superior to everyone.

The examination didn't take long, a fact that Cid greatly appreciated. He was quick to leave after he had paid. _"Hope I never have to deal with that damn bastard ever again."_ he thought as he got into his truck.

/

Tifa Listened quietly to the conversations taking place around the table, every once in a while scolding her father for his drinking or his choice of topic. But Grimoire finally settled down and turned toward Yuffie. "So, miss Kisaragi was it?" Yuffie smiled at him.

"Yes, but please call me Yuffie." Grimoire rubbed his chin for a moment.

"I assume that Vincent has warned you about my talks?"

"He has Mr Valentine, and I can assure you that there will be no disappointments in my work." Grimoire nodded thoughtfully.

"And I also trust that there will be no attempts at seduction of your employer?" Yuffie gasped in shock.

"I...I would never do something like that!" Grimoire smiled.

"Calm down Yuffie. I was only asking. It's just that Vincent's last secretary did try to seduce him. He fired her immediately, but he still has a few problems with some of his employees. I simply want to make sure that his secretary is going to be responsible in her actions." Yuffie shook her head in understanding.

"You have nothing to worry about Mr. Valentine."

"Good. Now Lazard, How is your work in the clinic?" Lazard grinned at the sudden change in topic.

"Quite well, actually. We're well on the way to perfecting a new antibiotic and expect the results from the labs within a few days."

"Good, and how is your father doing with his health the way it is?" Lazard and Rufus both looked slightly crestfallen at this.

"Not good." Rufus said. "He refuses to take a vacation until he perfects his experiments. Apparently several large medical companies are eager to purchase any new drug he makes." Lazard nodded in agreement.

"He spends days cooped up in his lab with Dr. Hojo. I keep insisting that he take a vacation but he refuses to listen." Grimoire was quite for a moment.

"I see. I shall have to speak with him. The man never did know when it was time to rest." Grimoire's brooding was interrupted by the sound of Tifa clearing her throat. He looked at his daughter, noticing that she had finished clearing the table.

"Why don't we all go into the living room and continue our conversation there?" Vincent glanced at her.

"I agree." After they moved into the living room their conversation continued for several hours before the Shinra's left.

/

Okay people, I'm back from the dead. I know this chapter is a little bit shorter than the previous ones but I can't do much about it. Writers block is such a bitch.

I do not own final fantasy, as much as I would like to. It belongs to square enix.


	6. Chapter 6

**Finally got around to posting this one, Sorry it's been so long. I hope you can forgive me. Lots of things going on in this chapter, see how they work out.**

Tifa's alarm wouldn't have woken Vincent from a daydream, but was somehow able to wake Tifa from the soundest sleep. How that worked out, Vincent didn't know, but he was awake all the same, his own alarm clock having woken him up two hours prior to her. And now they both sat at the kitchen table, Grimoire having left for the hospital shortly after he made their breakfast.

"So how did your run go this morning?" Tifa asked, knowing that her brother always went on a ten mile jog in the morning, meeting up with a friend about halfway through.

"It was okay. Zack was about as chatty as ever."

"Zack?" Tifa's curiosity was piqued. "Are you talking about Zack Fair?" Vincent looked at her for a moment.

"Yea. He and I always run together in the morning." Tifa stared at her brother with a look of pure disbelief on her face.

"I didn't think you two knew each other that well." Vincent rolled his eyes.

"Why do you think, when Reeve was introducing Zack and Mr. Highwind, I wasn't paying attention." Tifa cocked her head to the side in confusion.

"You weren't?" Vincent scratched the side of his nose for a moment, then resumed reading his book.

"Zack said that the Highwind gym's got a new star coming up. I'll be going over there on Tuesday, you wanna come along?" Tifa looked over at her brother for a moment.

"What time are you going over there?" Vincent looked at the clock.

"Probably around five of six, that's when most of the boys are there." Tifa shrugged.

"Sure, I'm off duty by then." Vincent nodded and reached for his coffee. Tifa noticed a far-off look in his eye accompanied by a rare smile. Tifa had never bothered to ask why Vincent smiled so little, but she guessed that it had to do with something that had happened to him in the past, when he was far more secretive about things.

"Well, I've got to get going Teef, I'll see you this evening." Vincent's voice broke through her thoughts.

"Oh, right. See you then." she stuttered, drawing an amused chuckle from her brother before he shut the door.

/

Cloud ran his hands through the mess of random spikes that made up his hair. His day had consisted of trying to keep his temper in check around the screaming elementary kids in his P.E. class, and now he had a headache that was refusing to go down.

"_Why did I apply for the position of elementary school P.E. teacher?_" his day had been made only slightly better by the intervention of the principal on his behalf. Janine Rosso was certainly very authoritative when it came to discipline in her school. And the redhead now had Cloud in the teachers lounge, sitting in front of a steaming mug of hot cocoa.

"So dalink, vat seems to be the matter, hm?" Her thick accent seemed to soothe his headache a little, but her calling him darling made him stiffen a bit.

"I'm just a little stressed miss Rosso." "_Keep it short and to the point._" The woman standing in front of him nodded slowly.

"Boxing career hitting a low, dalink?" Cloud stiffened visibly this time. Janine noticed immediatly.

"Oh, I'm sorry, I forgot, that word brinks up painful memories doesn't it?" she asked, knowing the answer full well. Cloud didn't respond, too lost in pain and memories to think. Janine watched his face intently, concerned for the young teacher and boxer. But only one word slipped past his lips.

"Jessie." He stood up quickly, almost upsetting the mug.

"Miss Rosso, I'm sorry but I need to get down to the gym." The principal nodded slowly.

"Alright, meester Strife. I vill see you tomorrow, yes?" Cloud nodded as he left the room. Janine Rosso stared after him for a moment, thoughts of her own failed relationships playing through her head.

"I do hope you find vat you are looking for, dalink."

\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\

Zack laughed hard as Joey, a highschool wannabe bodybuilder, attempted to a dodgeball through the chain link fence that surrounded the high schools grounds.

"No matter how hard you throw that ball Joey, it means nothing if you can't hit anything with it." he called out, friendly laughter still shaking his sides. Joey only grinned at his P.E. coach before he let another fly, only to watch in disappointment as his target caught the ball.

As he walked towards where Zack stood on the sidelines of the game a thought occurred to him.

"Say mr Fair?" he asked as soon as he was standing next Zack. "Don't you have a fight coming up soon?" Zack looked down at him for a moment, a look of mild surprise on his face.

"Yea, soon." Joey grinned eagerly.

"I'll be there to watch!" Zack smirked at the young mans enthusiasm. Looking at his watch he noticed that the class was almost over.

"Alright, game over guys, it's time to pick up the gear and head in." Zack was quick to note who was slacking and who was trying hard to accomplish the task set to them.

As soon as all the equipment had been put away and the kids sent to their next classes, Zack quickly jotted down his daily summary. As usual he walked out the door on his way to the gym, waving to the secretary and the principal as he left.

/

Tifa had just finished her shift when Shera and Aerith came up to her. Shera was the first to speak.

"Tifa? The clinic has had a request for a pair of nurses for a full time position and I was wondering if you would be interested?" Tifa couldn't help but stare. Aerith watched her for a moment.

"If it's too soon for you we can find someone else." Tifa jerked out of her stupor.

"No, no, it's not that. I just didn't expect that kind of position to open up so fast." Shera nodded for a moment.

"Anyway, the request was from the Highwind Boxing Gym. Aerith is very familiar with it and has been acting there unofficially for some time now. She can show you what needs to be done." Shera probably would have continued to describe the job and the duties involved if Vincent had not come up behind her.

"So Tifa's going to be a nurse for Highwind's now? Looks like I'm going to have another in there." Tifa and Aerith looked at each other for a moment before Aerith began giggling. Tifa couldn't understand what was so funny.

"Is something going on that I don't know about?" she asked nervously. Aerith had to try to stifle her giggling before she could respond.

"It's just that Vincent has always shown up at the gym to get interviews with the boxers, especially Zack." Tifa rolled her eyes briefly, before grabbing her brother and pushing him out the door.

"Come on Vince, before Aerith decides that it's too funny to stay standing."

The ride to the gym was short, but filled with Aerith's inane chatter. Tifa was quiet, while Vincent merely nodded or shook his head at whatever Aerith was saying. As they pulled up to the red, brick building, a large motorcycle pulled in behind them. As Tifa got out of the car, she chanced a look at the man getting off of the bike. She almost immediately recognized the boxer that she had seen that night when Vincent had dragged to the match.

"Vincent Valentine, it's a pleasure to see you again." The voice snapped Tifa out of her admiration for the blonde fighter and brought her attention to the man now speaking with Vincent.

"Same to you, Tseng. Tifa, I'd like you to meet Tseng Howard, one of the trainers here at Highwind's." Tseng looked Tifa over for a moment.

"Is she one of the new nurses?" he asked.

"Yea, she is."

"Thank God. Cid's been breathing down Zack's neck to get his hand examined." Aerith nodded, understanding the injury that Tseng was referring to.

"He's been using it again hasn't he?" She rolled her eyes at Tseng's expected nod. "Well, let's go see about it." They walked into the gym, leaving Vincent, Tifa, and the boxer outside. Vincent turned to the man.

"So Cloud, what did Zack do this time?" Cloud shrugged and moved around Tifa to get to the entrance. Vincent tapped his shoulder before he went in.

"I'd like you to meet my sister, Tifa." Cloud glanced over at her and gave a nod in greeting, but stayed silent. Tifa smiled kindly, but was slightly confused by his silence. Vincent, seeing her confusion, chuckled.

"Don't worry Teef, he's always like this. Anyway, lets all get inside. I need to speak with Cid."

/

The first thing Tifa noticed as she stepped into the gym was the two rings that sat four feet off the floor. She followed Vincent past the rings to the back office. Her ears were immediately assaulted by the sound of cursing as Cid yelled at Zack. The man stopped swearing long enough to let Tifa know where the nurses office was going to be. Tifa turned to let Vincent have his conversation with Zack, and made her way across the gym to the room that was to be her office.

'CLANG!' the sound of the bell caught her attention as the two fighters approached each other. She recognized the blonde, mostly because of the hair sticking out of the headgear. The other fighter was unfamiliar. The blonde bobbed and weaved as the other fighter jabbed at him with his left. A fast right hook was easily ducked and countered. A short uppercut was blocked and countered. The pace of the punches was now too fast for Tifa to keep up.

"Pretty impressive, isn't he?" Zack had come up beside her. Tifa nodded slightly, not noticing the bell ringing. "You might want to turn around. The object of your observations is coming this way."

**So we now see a little deeper into the lives of the two star boxers at Highwinds. Cloud teaches elementary PE, Zack Highschool PE. Cloud is hurting about something, but what? And why does he murmur the name 'Jessie' at the mention of the word darling? Cloud finally meets Tifa, and what's gonna happen. What did Zack do to his hand? And the most important question of all, HOW IN THE WORLD DID CID MANAGE TO STOP SWEARING LONG ENOUGH TO TELL TIFA WHERE THE NURSES OFFICE WAS? **

**Give me your opinion on what the answers to the questions are in the reviews. Don't bother trying to answer the last one though, that one will remain a mystery even to me. But definitely answer the others. The answers will be compared to the story line and winners will get cookies.  
**


	7. Chapter 7

**Hookay, longest chapter yet. 3076 words not including heading and postscript. This chapter is really going to dive into some deep material and might even lead to some unexpected turns. I'm still alive and trying to post as often as possible. I have nine stories that I'm currently working on so please forgive me if things seem to be taking forever.**

"_Pretty impressive, isn't he?" Zack had come up beside her. Tifa nodded slightly, her attention focused on the way the blonde was moving, trying to find anything that might be an injury. Her observation and search did not go unnoticed, as a blonde chain-smoker stepped up behind her._

"You won't find anything on Strife, unless that kid of his, or his damned dog has done something." Tifa jumped when Cid spoke, nearly employing the years of martial arts training she had accumulated.

"Who's Strife?" she asked when she had regained her composure. Cid glared at her for a moment before answering.

"Cloud Strife, the damned blonde you've been checking out." Tifa went red in the face.

"I was not checking him out. I was watching him for any injuries." He stared at her for a moment.

"If ya want to check him for injuries then wait until he's out of the ring. Then you can pull into your office and look him over there." Tifa nodded and turned to walk to the nurses office.

Cloud had been surprised to see the dark haired girl from the fight at the gym, but had thought little of it. Hearing that she was the new nurse had not phased him, he had already slipped into his fighting mind by then. Nothing after that had caught his attention. He focused on his hands as he wrapped the tape around them. Once that task was done, he had gone out and started stretching. Once he finished he walked out to the ring. Cid had told that he would be sparring first thing today and he wanted to get it over with. As he slipped the head gear on he looked over at his opponent. Rude looked ready as ever. As they stepped into the ring Cid put a hand on Cloud's shoulder.

"Just focus on your body work for the first minute, then start in on him." Cloud nodded in affirmation. It was the same drill he had done a thousand times before. Weave, bob and duck for the first few seconds, then let loose. Looking across the ring at the older boxer he watched as Rude went through his warm-ups. Cloud simply focused on his breathing, making sure he wasn't getting exited.

"_Breathe in through the nose, out through the mouth. Focus on evasion first, prepare to attack. Don't let him hit, don't let him_ _hit._" His thoughts ceased as the ringside bell was struck. Cloud advanced slowly, taking his time. He knew Rude's starting pattern by heart and was already running through the motions in his head.

"_He'll step in with a one-two, follow up with a left hook to the body, followed by a right upper."_ Cloud stepped into Rude's range. True to form, Rude opened with a fast jab. Cloud bobbed his head under the left, then the right, stepping to the side. The hook missed, and the uppercut struck air. Cloud continued to avoid Rude as he maneuvered around the ring. Rude stayed calm throughout the allotted time period, even though none of his punches were connecting. He knew that his time was coming.

"_He'll start taking my shots, and countering them, be prepared to be hit, stay loose. Don't tense up, it'll only hurt worse."_ Rude's thoughts were interrupted as Cloud ducked under his hook, and fired a short, straight upper into Rude's jaw. Stumbling back a bit, Rude fired off his own short upper. Cloud stepped slightly to the side and let loose a hook that knocked Rude's head to the side. Rude continued to fire off punches and kept getting countered, a pattern that was finally stopped by the bell.

Tifa could only watch in amazement as the blonde avoided and countered every shot his opponent threw at him. She became so focused on trying to keep up with the movements of the pair in the ring that she almost didn't register the sound of the bell ending the spar.

"Pretty cool, huh?" Zack's voice snapped her out of her stupor. "Cloud's got the potential to be the best there is." Tifa detected a strange underlying tone to the statement.

"Are you jealous f him?" Zack turned to stare at her, shock evident in his features.

"Me? Jealous of Cloud? Not a chance. I'm proud of him." Tifa rolled the thought around for a moment.

"_So it was an undercurrent of pride I was hearing."_ She was brought out of her thoughts when she realized that Zack was still talking.

"It's hard not to be proud of him. After all, I brought him here, got him started, and now he's gotten to the point where he could easily surpass me. That's a moment to experience, when your junior finally passes you. There's no greater feeling than that." Tifa could only stare at him. Was this guy human? How could he be so selfless as to take pride in his junior when he passed him? Zack seemed to notice her confusion but said nothing, instead deciding to turn and walk over to his junior leaving Tifa to try to sort out all the information she had just heard.

Cloud glanced up from where he was sitting on the bench next to the wall to see Zack walking towards him.

"Good spar buddy!" Cloud raised an eyebrow at him, knowing full well that Zack was too naturally honest to not mean what he was saying. It was one weakness that Zack had, and one that his friends usually took full advantage of.

"Are you ready for your match?"

"Hn." Zack shook his head at the lackluster response.

"C'mon Cloud, be more enthusiastic! This is your biggest match yet, show some excitement!" Cloud watched as his best friend continued to talk. He'd heard this speech dozens of times and had it memorized. A different voice cut through his thoughts though.

"Mister Strife, would you please come with me to the nurses office please." Cloud looked up to see Vincent's sister standing there. He stood up and nodded, following her to the office at the back.

/

Cloud glanced back as he merged with traffic on his way home. He was still feeling the pain of the topic that Principal Rosso had brought up. He knew she hadn't meant anything, but the subject was still one he didn't like thinking about. He could still remember most of the night that it happened, the night of his biggest mistake.

_-Flashback-_

_Reno's party was in full swing, and Cloud was enjoying himself immensely. He looked over to his new fiancé and watched as she simply breathed. He never would have thought that he could love someone this much. As he watched her, she turned her head to him._

"_Cloud, I think Reno is getting a little tipsy." she said, giggling. Cloud looked over at his longtime friend and associate. The man was obviously more than tipsy._

"_Jessie, he's not tipsy." Jessie raised an eyebrow at him. "No, he's plastered." he finished with a chuckle. Jessie let out a slight giggle of her own. Cloud's gaze returned to Reno, focusing on the beer in his friends hand._

"_I think I'd better get him to stop before he does something he'll regret." Jessie smiled at him as he pushed himself off of the couch._

"_Yea, you'd better. I'll have some punch for you when you get back." He chuckled and gave her a kiss._

"_Can't wait." she watched as he walked over and grabbed Reno, lifting him bodily from the table he was dancing on, if it could be called dancing. Turning away, she made her way to the punch bowl._

_Cloud managed to get Reno upstairs before the man collapsed. Reno grabbed his collar just as Cloud went to pick him up._

"_Man, shtay away from the punch, itsh got shome kick." Cloud frowned, but didn't pay his friend any mind. Anything Reno said while drunk just couldn't be trusted, or so he thought._

_-End Flashback-_

Cloud wished that he had listened to his friend that night. Who would've known the punch had been spiked to point of getting Reno, a die-hard drinker in his own right, that plastered with only two cups. Cloud felt an involuntary shiver go up his spine. Both he and Jessie had _three_ cups that night. He couldn't remember much after putting Reno to bed and meeting Jessie by the punch bowl, but he could guess the rest.

_-Flashback-_

_Cloud woke to a pounding headache in an unfamiliar room. Looking around he began to figure out where he was._

"_Why am I in one of Reno's rooms?" he said to nobody in particular. A movement from the other side of the bed caught his attention. He turned over to see just who or what was in bed with him. A head of brown hair met his gaze as Jessie rolled over trying to get closer to him. Cloud ignored his hangover as he shook her shoulder._

"_Jessie. Jessie, wake up." Jessie moaned as she gained consciousness._

"_Cloud, what are you doing in my room, and why does my head hurt?" Cloud rubbed her arm as he spoke._

"_The punch must have been spiked. We're still at Reno's, and I think we may have..." he left the sentence unfinished as Jessie's eyes widened._

"_Cloud, do you remember anything? Did we use protection? Did we..." Cloud put his finger on Jessie's lips._

"_I don't remember anything. I don't know if we used protection, and judging by the way our clothes are thrown around the room I'd say we really did it." Jessie looked like she was about to cry. Cloud took this in slowly._

"_Get dressed, Reno might be up, and I don't want him getting an eyeful."_

_-Flashback End-_

Reno had helped despite suffering from his own hangover. But even he had been unable to help the situation that followed. When the birth had occurred he had been thrown out by Jessie's parents, and had not been allowed back in. He had no idea what had happened to the baby or to Jessie. The whole thing had been so messed up he had finally just snapped. It had been then that he had entered the military. His five years in the Marine corps had been the hell he had needed. It was there that he had met Zack Fair, serving in the Recon Force Scout Snipers. Zack had been assigned as his spotter. Zack's crazy antics had gotten them into more trouble on base any other team, but he wouldn't have traded a single one of those days for anything. Zack's constant pranks had been the tonic he needed to help him forget his pain, and over the years they had developed quite the friendship, which only made the years after hurt worse. He had left the Corps nearly a year after Zack did, shortly after his replacement spotter, a young man that he quickly grew attached to, was killed in an operation behind enemy lines. He had just decided that he had enough, and wanted out. The government was more than obliging. He had returned to Midgar in hopes of starting over. He had found a small apartment and had purchased Nanakee soon after. But he had not outrun his pain. He found himself needing a release, so he started boxing at twenty four. It had been the outlet needed to at least distract him from the pain, but not for long. Sephiroth had quickly found out about Cloud's past and used it against him, triggering the first fight Cloud would ever have against the man, a brawl in which he was cruelly beaten. Sephiroth had kicked him out of the gym, telling him to never show his face in the ring again. Cloud had not listened, but decided to lay low for a while. He had found another gym across town that had a low enough profile to slip under Sephiroth's radar. But it couldn't last forever. Sephiroth finally found out after his third fight with the gym, against Zack. The owner had been gunned down in a drive by shooting that was never solved. Cloud had been left to his own devices as gym after gym turned him away before Zack suggested Highwinds.

He had agreed to try it and had never regretted it. Even before he found out that every man there had served in the Marine Corps, some of them in his unit, he had the impression that there were no pushovers there. He grinned as memories of his first day came back to him.

_-Flashback-_

_Cloud looked up at the red brick that made up the exterior of the gym. The sign over the window informed him that this was Highwind Boxing Gym in large, gold letters. As he pushed the door open he took in the usual sights and smells of any gym, along with the unadulterated scent of someone's perfume. His musing was interrupted by a large man in a muscle shirt and sweats._

"_What you want here punk?" Cloud looked the man over for a moment._

"_I was told that this was a good place to train." the man nodded for a moment before a huge grin broke over his features._

"_Then welcome to Highwind Boxing, Spiky." Cloud raised an eyebrow at the sudden nickname,_

"_Spiky?" the man nodded._

"_Your hair, it's the spikiest I've ever seen so, Spiky." Cloud just looked away,_

"_Hey Barrett, you're not trying to scare him off yet are you? You know how much Cid would hate that." The man now identified as Barret turned to him._

"_I wasn't doing nothing of the sort, man!" the new man turned to Cloud._

"_Don't let Barret scare you, not all the guys are like him." Cloud nodded._

"_Thanks Zack." Barret looked at Zack for a moment._

"_Say, how do you know him?" Zack rolled his eyes._

"_I told him about this place. Not long after he left Jenova's." Barret's eyes went wide._

"_Oh." Zack chuckled._

"_He's not going to spill secrets or sabotage anything around here. He's trying to get away from that freak Sephiroth." Cloud looked at him._

"_You guys have a problem with Sephiroth?" Zack met his gaze._

"_Yea, ever since we opened up he's been sending fighters after us. He seems to have some kind of grudge against us but I couldn't be sure. He's always been a little off." Cloud nodded, remembering how Sephiroth had not only trained other boxers, but the silver haired man was still a feared fighter himself. A genius boxer with a heart of stone._

"_I know what you mean." Zack looked around the gym._

"_Well, we might as well get you introduced to some of the boys around here." he let out an ear-piercing whistle that caught everyone's attention._

"_Everybody, come over here for a moment, got someone I want all of you to meet." everybody in the gym slowly gathered around. Cloud watched as they congregated, recognizing most of the faces, and noticing the friendly pushing and shoving, something he'd never experienced at Jenova's. Zack put a hand on his shoulder._

"_Boys, this is Cloud Strife. He's gonna be training here starting today. Cloud you've already met Barret Wallace, so don't worry to much about him." Barret rolled his eyes at Zack but kept a wide grin on his face. "He's one of the trainers here so you'll probably get to work with him at some point or another." He pointed to another man in the front of the group._

"_That fella with the sunglasses and shaved head is Rude Siever. He's a part time trainer, part time boxer, depending on whether he's got a fight coming up." the man dipped his head in acknowledgment as Zack thundered on._

"_The man with the tattoo on his forehead is Tseng Howard. He trains some of us part of the time, when he's not pounding out the next fight contract." Tseng waved a hand in greeting._

"_Don't let Zack's introductions fool you, I probably help more of these guys train than they're willing to admit." Zack managed to look somewhat indignant._

"_Anyway, the kid in corner over there is Johnny Brigane. He's not the most sociable fighter I've ever known, but if you ever get him started, whoopee, he'll talk you ears off." Johnny seemed to frown at this. Zack continued, introducing the various members of the gym. Cloud was caught slightly off guard by the fact that Reno Tarver was a trainer and cut-man for the gym, but quickly recovered. Zack had finished the introductions for everyone in the room when the door opened behind them._

"_What the fuck is going on in here? A damn new years party? Get back to work all of ya! If introductions are complete you've got no fucking reason to stand around." Zack rolled his eyes._

"_Cloud, meet the owner of the gym, head trainer and counselor, Cid Highwind. Don't let the sailors mouth fool you, when it comes to his fighters, it's nothing but the best." Cid crossed his arms._

"_Damn straight. Can't have you kids getting out of hand though. Besides, I already know Strife." Zack gaped at him._

"_How?" Cid grinned at him._

"_You forgot didn't you. I was both his captain and yours in the Marines that's how. Now get back to your workout. Strife, get off your ass and follow me." Zack looked like he'd been floored._

"_Forgot all about that. Good times. I hope you stick around a long time Cloud, we've got a lot to catch up on."_

_Cloud nodded and turned to follow Cid into the office._

_-End Flashback-_

Cloud broke himself out of his reflections as he pulled into his driveway. As he walked into the house Nanakee barreled into him, followed closely by Denzel.

"Daddy Cloud!" Cloud laughed and scooped the boy into his arms.

"Hey there, how's my boy?" Denzel laughed loudly at the question.

"I'm fine daddy, you know that." Cloud put his adopted son down and directed him toward the kitchen.

"C'mon sport, we've got to get your homework done and get dinner on the table." Denzel looked at him.

"Daddy, my homework's done. I finished it before you got home." Cloud raised his eyebrows.

"Well, then I'd better check it." He said as he followed Denzel into the kitchen. As he entered the room he looked at the picture on the wall.

"_Jessie, I'll find our child, and you. Then my life will be complete again."_

**Alright! finally got to dig into Clouds past a bit. Okay, I'm sure some of you were wondering about the things that were left unsaid in previous chapters. A lot of those were answered in this one. We finally know the reason Cloud is so sullen most of the time. We have an answer to why he whispered Jessie's name at the word 'darling'. and we have a major glimpse into Cloud's past. If anybody wants to know more details about Cloud's military experience it may show up in another fanfic. I will be going into more detail about his rank and service record later in this story, but for now I'm not sure if I should put the information in, or if I should just leave for a companion story.  
**

**Please leave any comments or questions in a review. I really appreciate know your opinions.**


	8. Chapter 8

**Sorry about not posting for so long, I really am trying. Life is kind of hard right now, and circumstances are distracting. Of course it doesn't help that I have almost a dozen stories that I'm trying to write at once. Anyway, enough apologies, this next chapter is going to bring up some touchy issues between rival gyms, and boy oh boy is it going to make things hot for later chapters. No fight just yet, that one is maybe two chapters away, but for now we find some information that should intrigue curiosity in some more inquisitive minds. Hope you enjoy it.**

The man ran his fingers through his silver hair. His eyes crossed the gym in seconds, taking in every fighter there. Every man working hard to be considered worthy. Working to challenge him. He smiled predatorily at the thought. None of them would ever match him. Not one of these men had that kind of potential. He frowned as a thought crossed his mind.

"_He had that potential._" He had tried to shoot the man's dreams down, but the fool hadn't paid attention.

"Hey boss, Kadaj is ready to hear it." Sephiroth Jones looked up at Yazoo McSweeny. His eyes took in the mans face for a moment before he stood.

"Then get him in here." Yazoo nodded as he turned to the door.

"Kadaj, he's ready for you." Sephiroth rolled his eyes as his son came into the office.

"You have a new match for me, father?" Sephiroth looked him over carefully before responding.

"Yes, I do. I've just sent off the request to Highwind Boxing Gym for a match between you and their rising star. I'm sure you remember him." Kadaj stared at his father, disbelief etched in his face.

"You mean that idiot still hasn't taken the hint?" Sephiroth nodded.

"After the incident with his last gym we can't make any more direct threats. However, he seems to ignore even the most dire indications. When you fight him, I want him out of the ring. Permanently." A feral grin spread over Kadaj's face.

"With pleasure, father."

/

Cid Highwind glared at the fight request, then glanced up at the man across the table. Cloud's face was blank, giving no indication of what lay beneath. But to Cid, the man's eyes flashed with a dangerous light.

"Now don't go getting your dander up. Just cause the bastards sent us a challenge doesn't mean we're gonna accept shit." Cloud didn't respond. Zack, sitting off to the side, was examining the details of the fight contract.

"They're basically demanding that we send Cloud to fight Kadaj. The guys pretty well known as a headhunter. No fighter he's ever gone up against has ever been able to get back in the ring again. Even the champ is concerned about him." Cid nodded.

"It's a damned fools errand if you ask me. A suicide mission. Good chance of never being able to get back in the ring. What do you think Strife?" Cloud looked first at Cid, then to Zack and the rest of his friends. He chuckled as a grin spread across his face.

"Semper fi." Cid and everyone else grinned. Cid nodded proudly before turning.

"Tseng, let that bastard Sephiroth know that the fight's on. Reno, while he's on that, you contact Vincent and get all the tapes you can find on that shithead Kadaj. As soon as we know what we're up against we can form a plan of attack. Now get going! So we can show them what the devil dogs are made of!" The door to the room strained its hinges as men burst through it. On the other side of the gym, in the nurses office, Tifa jumped at the sound. Looking through the blinds she saw the guys spreading out into the gym. Sitting down she let a sigh escape her.

"Aerith, why do men have to be so eager to hurt each other?" Aerith shrugged.

"I don't know. Personally I've never enjoyed seeing any of them get hurt. But boys will be boys I guess." Tifa glanced out the window again before returning to the desk, which was covered with stacks of paper. Letting out a sigh, she sat down and began filing.

Cloud's face bore a feral grin as he pounded the heavy bag, causing the one hundred and fifty pound canvas sandbag to hang at almost a forty five degree angle, suspended by the force and speed of his punches. Zack watched carefully, knowing that Cloud wouldn't train hard enough to hurt himself before the fight. Next to him Cid watched Cloud movements even more carefully.

"Time! Get on with your road work, get to Vincent's building and back." Zack glanced at Cid as Cloud left.

"Vincent's? That's almost twice as far as Shinra's." Cid glanced at him.

"Nearly ten miles. And when he gets back, your gonna be dumping that medicine ball on his gut." Zack turned to watch as the blonde coach walked back into his office. "Call me when Strife gets back." Cid hollered before closing the door. Zack turned back to the gym, preparing himself for his own workout.

/

Vincent glanced out of the window of his office as he took a sip of the coffee that Yuffie had brought him. He watched with mild interest as Cloud ran past the building.

"_Cid must have gotten him a fight._" he thought. He made a snap decision to go speak with his old captain about the fight, as well as see which videos he would need to collect. Pushing a button on his phone he contacted his secretary.

"Miss Kisaragi, do I have any appointments in the next few hours?" there was a pause filled with the rustling of papers and the clicking of a keyboard.

"No, you're clear for the next four hours Mr. Valentine."

"Good, then grab a pen and a notepad, we have somewhere to go." The silence on the other end of the line could only mean she had been caught off guard. If she had been, she quickly recovered.

"May I ask where we're going?" Vincent chuckled.

"Highwind's Boxing Gym. We have some information to collect." he released the button and stood, grabbing the old bombers jacket his grandfather had left him. Pushing his arms into the sleeves he walked out of his office, passing the desk outside his door.

"Are you coming miss Kisaragi?" Yuffie picked up the notepad and pen that she had placed to the side of the desk and stood to follow him.

"Yes boss. I'm coming." Vincent all but exploded through the doors to the parking lot and marched right over to his car. Yuffie caught up to him and scrambled into the vehicle. "So what's going on?" Vincent waited until they were on the road to answer.

"I saw Cloud Strife running past the building, and the only time he runs this far is when he's preparing for a fight." Yuffie stared at him for a moment.

"And why is this so important?" he rolled his eyes, an action that she ignored while waiting for him to respond.

"Because I'm the one they get their fight tapes from. And I need to know who he's fighting."

"Oh. So what we're doing is gathering information, and maybe a statement on the fight."

"Pretty much."

/

Cid looked toward the entrance as the gym door opened and the bells attached to it rang. He nodded at Vincent as he came through, then turned back to the two men in the ring.

"Tighten your defense Johnny, he's tagging you all over the fucking place!" he called out. "Wallace, keep an eye on these two. I've got the press to deal with." Vincent chuckled as Barret stepped over and began adding his own voice to the already thunderous din in the gym.

"Busy Cid?" Cid just raised an eyebrow before stepping into the office, motioning for

Vincent to follow. As Yuffie shut the door, she found herself under intense scrutiny from the older man.

"Are you sure about this girl master gunny?" Vincent came abruptly to attention.

"Yes sir, captain. I checked on all bases, she's alright." Cid seemed placated by this, but Yuffie was confused.

"Master gunny? Captain? What's going on?" Vincent sighed lightly before turning to explain.

"Cid was my captain in the marines. He commanded both my squad, and two scout sniper teams. Every man here served in his unit." Yuffie's eyes widened in realization.

"I'm guessing you're here cause you saw Strife." Cid made the statement sound like an accusation. Vincent nodded sharply.

"Yes sir. Which tapes do you need?" Cid looked at a piece of paper on his desk, his face grave.

"You have any tapes on Kadaj Jones?" Vincent's face took on a look of shock.

"Cloud's fighting him?" Yuffie noted the look as well as the tone of Vincent's voice.

"What's so shocking about that?" she asked. Both men looked at her, Cid's face hard as stone.

"That Jones boy has a reputation for forcing fighters to retire. He's never lost a fight." he said. Vincent quickly made up for the vagueness of Cid's statement.

"He beats them to within an inch of their lives. Most never recover." Yuffie glanced at Cid.

"And you're sending your fighter against that?" Cid rolled his eyes.

"Cloud ain't most fighters. He's tougher than he looks. He's survived one beating from the guy already with no problems, he'll survive another. Only this time I'm making sure he does the pounding." Vincent looked at the fight contract on the desk.

"I'll get the tapes, and if there's anything else I can do, let me know." Cid nodded as Vincent strode out of the room, Yuffie following closely. Vincent stopped before he was completely out the door, causing Yuffie to run into his back. "Cid, Cloud's back." he said before continuing out of the gym. Cid came out yelling.

"Strife, get your ass over to ringside! Fair, bring over that medicine ball!"

**Cloud has a fight! The training starts. It seems as if Jenova Boxing gym and its owner have some kind of vendetta against Cloud, but what are these darker hints that they've dropped. More next time. Please review, it's really my only way to get feedback and improve my writing.**


	9. Chapter 9

**Okay, I had to repost this chapter with a few minor corrections. My heartfelt thanks to Iris Irene for pointing out the flaw, and I hope people continue to help me in similar ways so that I can continue to improve.**

"_Three months_."Tifa thought. "_Three months I've been here and now, it's almost time._" looking at the calendar on the wall, she hugged herself as a chill ran down her spine. She glanced across the gym to where Cloud was running through a light cool down exercise, Zack keeping an eye on him.

"Well, weigh-in's tomorrow, do you think you'll make it?" he asked. Tifa furrowed her brows as Cloud shrugged.

"We'll see." was all he said. Tifa stepped into the nurses office and sat down at her desk, returning to filling out the medical forms that they would need the following day. She almost didn't notice when Aerith stepped into the room.

"So is Clouds paperwork almost ready?" Tifa looked up at her, the question a welcome distraction.

"Yes, almost. I just have a few more lines to finish and then I'm done." Aerith nodded.

"Good, finish those up and we'll grab some of the guys and go out for dinner." her statement was met with a raised eyebrow.

"And when were you going to tell me about this?" Aerith giggled.

"Just now." Tifa rolled her eyes as Aerith sat at her own desk and started filing her finished forms. She at still for a moment, recalling all the short conversations she had been having with Cloud. They weren't long and in-depth talks, but rather light and friendly banter that had slowly built up. She had never pushed him, just as he had never pushed her, but slowly she had begun to see the quiet young fighter in a completely different light. Shaking her head to clear her thoughts she turned back to the desk and went back to work.

/

Cloud sat on the bench just inside the door of the gym, his bag at his feet. He had just finished his workout, and had taken a quick shower before getting dressed. He let out a yawn as he rested his head against the wall, his still wet hair making a dark spot on the plaster. Footsteps near him made him open his eyes, only to see Zach's grinning face. He closed his eyes again, trying to fight off the headache that he had somehow acquired while teaching his elementary PE class. Thankfully Zach did not seem inclined to speak loudly for now.

"Aerith's got dinner taken care of Cloud. Bring Denzel along." Cloud gave a barely noticeable nod.

"Where?" he muttered.

"Cissnei's. Dad'll be there. Says he found something." Cloud looked at Zach. Police Sergeant Angeal Fair had been the one he'd gone to asking for help finding Jessie. At Zach's suggestion of course. That had been nearly two years ago. That Angeal had continued searching for him this long was a testament to both the mans sense of duty, and his close bond with both his son, and his friends.

"Alright, I'll be there." Zach nodded.

"Apparently Dad's bringing his partner. It'll be a good chance for you to meet him." Cloud gave Zach a look, which simply rolled off the man. Picking up his bag he stood and turned for the door, only to be stopped by Zach's voice. "By the way, have you thought about asking Tifa out?" Cloud didn't turn around.

"No, I haven't. If Angeal has information on Jessie, I might be able to find out where she is, and whether she still has the child." Zach let out a sound of affirmation, but it was accompanied by a sad smile. He watched as Cloud stepped out the door and walked to his bike, tying his gym bag down behind the seat.

"_I don't want you to miss out on life,Cloud._" he thought.

/

Angeal Fair sat in a corner booth at Cissnei's, his drink shifting between his hands. Running a hand through his dark locks, he looked across the table at his partner, Genesis Rhapsodos, who was currently reading his book 'Loveless'. The man was never seen without his precious book. He chuckled as he watched the redhead turn a page with his thumb.

"How many times have you read completely through that book Genesis?" the man paused, as if thinking.

"Lost count around twenty or thirty." Angeal shook his head.

"Don't you think that's just a few too many times? I mean there are other books out there." Genesis shrugged.

"Sure there are, and I read a few every now and then. This one's just my favorite." he turned his eyes to the door. "Don't look now, but your boy and his buddies have arrived.." Angeal looked behind him, taking in the sight of Zach and his friends walking toward them. He stood and moved to intercept the group before they reached the table.

"Zach, take the others to the table, Genesis is already there. I need to talk to Cloud alone for a moment." Zach glanced at Cloud before turning back to his Father.

"Sure thing dad." he turned back to the group behind him. "Cloud, my dad needs to talk to you alone for a moment. Everyone else, we get to meet Genesis Rhapsodos. My dads partner in crime." As the group walked over to the table, Angeal guided Cloud to the bar.

"You may need something stiff, Cloud. What I've got to tell you isn't pleasant." Cloud shook his head.

"No, I've got a fight coming up and I need to stay away from that stuff." Angeal nodded.

"Then you'd better brace yourself for a shock cause I figure it'll hit you pretty hard. Bartender! Get me a whiskey, and make it strong. Water for my friend here." the two waited for their drinks before saying anything. As the bartender placed the two glasses in front of them Angeal took a deep breath.

"I've found Jessie. But not her daughter." Cloud looked at him.

"The baby was a girl?" Angeal nodded.

"Yeah. She disappeared shortly after she was born. Probably put into some orphanage. I'll keep looking for her. But the news on Jessie isn't so hot." Cloud watched as Angeal took a sip of his drink.

"Well? Where is she?" Angeal looked at him, his face miserable.

"Midgar cemetery. She died a few weeks after the child was born." Cloud dropped his gaze.

"Then find the girl. I don't care how much I have to pay, I just want to know that she's in a good home." Angeal nodded slowly.

"I'll find her. No charge for a family friend." Cloud looked at him, his grief plain as day on his face.

"I appreciate it. Really." Angeal put his hand on the young fighters shoulder.

"If you need a shoulder to cry on any of our friends are available." Cloud's head bobbed lightly.

"I can't grieve right now, I have to maintain my focus. I'll grieve for her later. Just find my daughter. That's all I want right now."

"Alright." Angeal said.

Zach sat down next to Genesis, with Aerith next to him. The various gym members sat around the rest of the table. Tifa sat across from Aerith with Denzel snuggling into her side and two empty chairs next to her. As she looked down at the head of brown hair tucked against her side she recalled her first meeting with Cloud's son.

_-Flashback-_

_Tifa came in the door of the gym and made a beeline for the nurses office. As she set her hand on the doorknob she heard Cid's voice._

"_Tifa, can you take a look at Strife's boy. The fool kid punched the heavy bag wrong and hurt his hand." Tifa looked at the blond boxer, slightly worried. He was holding a small boy with a head of brown hair. As she watched, Cloud brought the boy into the office, and set him on the small bed that they had._

"_It's his left hand." he said. Tifa nodded and picked up the injured arm. A quick examination revealed the problem._

"_It's only a mild sprain, he'll be alright in a few weeks. But I would suggest keeping that arm in a brace for a while." Cloud gave a small 'hmm' in acknowledgment. The boy, who had not cried at all while Tifa had inspected his hand, looked up at her with large green eyes._

"_Are you an angel?" Tifa took a small step back._

"_What?" she asked, slightly surprised._

"_An angel, dad says they're the most beautiful creatures in the world." Tifa glanced at Cloud, who was pinching the bridge of his nose as if he had a headache._

"_No, I'm no angel, I'm nowhere near that beautiful." the boy shook his head._

"_I think you are." Tifa smiled at him._

"_Well you're certainly a sweet boy. What's your name?"_

"_My name's Denzel Strife. What's yours?" he said._

"_Tifa Valentine. Does your mommy know you're here?" she heard a slight cough behind her. Turning, she saw Cloud jerk his head to the side, indicating that she should follow him. Looking back at Denzel, she noticed he seemed suddenly depressed. She turned and followed Cloud from the room. Noticing Cid's concerned glance at Cloud before the man turned to comfort the mans son. Cloud led Tifa into the main office and shut the door. As he turned to her, she noticed the grave look on his face._

"_Tifa, Denzel doesn't have a mother. I adopted him." Tifa stared for a moment._

"_You're raising him alone? I didn't know. Did I..." Cloud held up a hand._

"_No, you didn't say anything you shouldn't, he's just a little sensitive about it. His biological father died in a firefighting accident, and his mother died in childbirth. I've been his only family since." Tifa sat down, trying to process the information._

"_So he's never known a mother?" Cloud nodded. "Then how did he become such a sweet boy?" Cloud shrugged._

"_Probably Aerith's influence. She's kind of taken him as a nephew of sorts." Tifa giggled at the mental image that was conjured up unbidden._

"_I can see her doing that." Cloud let out a small chuckle, though it died in his throat rather quickly._

"_Just be careful what you say around him." Tifa nodded._

"_Okay."_

_-Flashback End-_

Tifa smiled down at the boy as he tried to snuggle in closer to her. Looking over to where Cloud and Angeal were standing she saw the grave look on the faces of both men. Nudging Denzel lightly, she looked up and winked at Aerith.

"Hey Denzel, who do you like more? Me, or aunty Aerith?" Aerith managed to look indignant.

"Tifa, no fair! Of course he's going to pick you, you're the one who has her arm around him." Tifa let out a small giggle at Aerith's act, while Denzel looked like he was trying very hard to make a decision. The girls suppressed their giggles as he continued to think.

"Alright, what are you making him think about this time?" Cloud's voice caused both girls to jump as he sat down next to Denzel. They assumed the most innocent expressions they could muster, to which Cloud raised an eyebrow but said nothing.

"They were asking me which one of them I like more." Denzel said. Cloud rolled his eyes.

"That's one question that just doesn't have a safe answer. Believe me, you're better off not answering." Angeal let out a deep chuckle.

"You speaking from experience here Cloud, or are you just speculating?" the grin that had formed on the blonde's face disappeared as he dropped his gaze to the floor. Tifa reached out and touched his arm, giving him what she hoped was a comforting look. When his eyes met hers she saw something that concerned her. Something that was obviously throwing him into a mild depression. He turned back to the table, silence the only response to her inquiring glances. Aerith and Zack noticed the one-sided exchanges and shared a worried look. Leaning over and kissing Aerith's cheek, Zack whispered into her ear.

"I'm sure he's okay, probably just got some bad news from dad." she nodded and snuggled into his side.

"I hope you're right Zack." she whispered.

**Alright thanks again and I promise you that I will start moving the story along a little faster. I'm not writing with any sort of specific plot in mind so I'm just letting things flow as they come. I'll try to update faster, thanks.**


	10. Chapter 10

**Hey guys, DouglassWolf is back. Ya talk about a crazy time. I've been trying to pack in order to move to a new place, and the stress has been getting to me. Anyway, I finally got the tenth chapter of this story done and now, it's posted. This chapter is going to spark off the relationship between Cloud and Tifa, at least in my mind. But anyway, Next chapter is the long awaited fight, and I'll doing my best to make it believable.**

The men gathered in the small room were mostly of massive build and beaten face. Here and there an old man, or a younger woman stood, but most of them were fighters, hardened veterans of the ring. In a corner of this room stood a group of silver haired men. Sephiroth Jones and his son, Kadaj, accompanied by Yazoo McSweeny, and Loz Johnson. The four men looked like they were confident and collected, and the air of invulnerability only served to enhance the illusion that Kadaj's undefeated record would continue. Their laughter as they spoke enhanced their image even further as they told jokes about the fighter Kadaj would be facing. But in the opposite corner of the room another group stood. Silent and still, the group from Highwind boxing emitted an air of cold and calculated, yet relaxed precision. Each movement showed a readiness for anything, and the Marine corps tattoos proved that these were in fact, extremely dangerous men. Only one person seemed out of place in the rogues gallery from Highwinds. Tifa Valentine stood next to her brother as she watched Cloud strip down to his shorts. She blushed as his muscular back and shoulders were exposed, a fact that did not escape Vincent's notice.

"Have the hots for him Tiffy?" he asked, caused her blush to become even darker.

"No, I do not!" she protested, trying to hide the fact that she simply felt more comfortable around the tall blonde fighter. The call for the fighters to line up saved her further embarrassment as Cloud stood and walked over to the line in front of the scales. Kadaj had taken the place in front of him, and now flexed his muscles in an attempt to make Cloud nervous. It didn't work. As Kadaj stepped onto the scales everyone in the room went silent.

"Kadaj Jones, two hundred and fifteen pounds, good." he stepped down and gave Cloud a look of complete superiority, attempting to provoke the younger boxer. Cloud face remained completely impassive as he stepped onto the scale.

"Cloud Strife, one hundred and ninety eight pounds, good." he stepped down and moved to the corner where Reno stood with his clothes tucked under an arm. As he dressed Cid glanced at him.

"Don't let that bastard get you riled up. It won't help a damned thing." Cloud didn't respond, but his body relaxed a bit. Zack placed a hand on the blondes shoulder.

"Just let him talk, it won't do him any good in the ring. And remember, you're not the same person as when you last saw him." Cloud gave a small nod as he walked out of the door. Tifa watched carefully for some sign of irritation or discomfort but found none, the fighter was completely calm and collected.

"_Now if he can only keep that cool head in his fight_." she thought.

/

Vincent sat behind his desk, thinking about what had occurred at the weigh-in. Tifa's blush had been humorous, but he also knew of the news the Cloud had recently received.

"_Now may not be the best time for Tifa to be developing feelings for him. Especially now that he knows what happened to Jessie and his daughter._" he thought.

"Mr. Valentine,miss Cresent is here to see you." Vincent looked through the window in his door to see Lucrecia Cresent, his columnist and unofficial councilor, waving at him.

"Let her in, miss Kisaragi." Yuffie waved the woman in and went back to her work. Lucrecia grinned as she closed the door and crossed her arms.

"So, enjoying your new secretary Vincent?" she asked. Vincent snorted.

"She does good work. And she's managed to keep my schedule fairly relaxed, as well as finishing all her own paperwork." Lucrecia gave a knowing smile as she sat down in the chair opposite Vincent's desk.

"And she's fairly attractive too." Vincent looked up at her.

"I have no idea what you're referring to. I have no desire to get into a relationship after what happened between us." he said. Lucrecia sighed.

"Still upset about that? Honestly I've moved on. After all, we can't remain heartbroken forever." Vincent looked back to his desk, and began sketching on a blank piece of paper.

"Lu, we've had this discussion a million times before, I'm not ready for another relationship. We rushed ours, and look where it got us. We're lucky we're still friends. I don't want to make the same mistake I made with you." Lucrecia watched his face closely.

"Rushing things is bad Vincent, but closing yourself off from any chance at a new relationship is even worse. I know you don't want a repeat of us, but you can't let that keep you from being happy. I can see the way you look at her. You want to know her better and understand her better, but you're afraid that it'll turn out like we did. You shouldn't compare what happened with us to every relationship you can have. Just go for it." Vincent looked back up at her.

"Lu, she's only twenty. I'm almost thirty. There's a ten year age gap there." the older woman smiled.

"That never stopped you before. Remember your junior year of highschool? Mrs. Philips? She was at least fifteen years older than you. And what about Charlotte, that girl a few years ago? You dated her for nearly three months before you found out she was a minor." Vincent groaned, it was just like Lucrecia to go and make his life harder by shooting down every argument he had.

"Fine, I'll do something about it. Soon." Lucrecia put her hand on Vincents arm.

"You should do something about it now, before you start rationalizing again." Vincent ran his hand through his already unruly hair.

"I can't do anything now, I've got to get ready for Cloud's fight. I'll talk to her after the fight alright, I promise." Lucrecia just smiled.

/

Zack watched as Cloud ran through a light workout two days before the fight. He knew that Cloud was suppressing a lot of emotion that would certainly boil over either during the fight and manifest as anger and aggression, or it would manifest after the fight as a simple breakdown. In either case Zack knew it would be a bad idea to leave his friend alone after the fight. As he watched Cloud stand up and towel off his face.

"Cloud, go home and get some rest. If you're not in top form for the fight, you'll get killed." Cloud nodded at Zack's concern, but made no indication of any other agreement. He simply walked into the shower room and changed, then walked out, grabbed his bag, and left the gym. Zack watched the door for a moment before turning and walking into the nurses office, where Aerith sat at her desk typing away at the small laptop she owned. Zack smiled as he watched her, thinking about how cute she was when she was concentrating on something. The way she chewed on her lip always seemed to catch his eye. Slipping up until he stood behind her, he slowly placed his hands on her shoulders. She gasped as his fingers touched her skin and began massaging her neck and upper back.

"Zack, you scared me." Zack chuckled.

"Sorry babe, just thought you looked tense." Aerith hummed in agreement as she rolled her head to match the movement of his fingers. He smiled as he watched the top of her head.

"Zack, I don't want to wait." Looking down Zack furrowed his brow.

"What do you mean?" Aerith turned, standing and resting her arms on his shoulders.

"I mean that I don't want to wait, I need you too much." Zack let out a breath.

"Okay." Aerith smiled as she pressed her lips against his. Arms wrapped around each other, they sank to the floor, Zack barely remembering to reach out and turn off the lights.

/

Tifa glanced at the boy in the passenger seat of Grimoire's car as she pulled into the driveway. She had picked up Denzel after Cloud had called her, asking if she could watch the boy until the fight. She had promised to leave a meal in the fridge, and had made up a quick and easy dinner before she left. Now as she got out of the car she smiled as Denzel ran inside. Following the boy, she heard her father yell out in greeting. Grimoire had always loved children, and when she had told him the she would be watching the child of a friend he had been elated. In spite of the fact that he had never met the man his daughter was talking about, he knew how careful his daughter was. As Tifa enter the house she giggled as she saw Denzel shaking Grimoire's hand enthusiastically.

"So I see you've already met Denzel. I guess more formal introductions are rather pointless." Grimoire looked at her with a raised eyebrow as he scooped Denzel up and onto his hip, the boy laughing loudly as he did it. Tifa had so smile at the picture her father made. In spite of his age, the man was incredibly fit, and had no trouble picking up the seven year old boy. As he turned and walked into the living room Tifa shook her head and walked into the kitchen to make their dinner.

**Okay so let me know what you think. leave a review.**


	11. Chapter 11

**Okay, sorry but this chapters a little shorter than the others. I wanted to increase the length, but I decided to save the fight for the next one. I will get it up asap, but I can make no promises as to the timing. A few new fanfictions will be appearing soon so please keep your eyes and minds open and ready for feedback.**

Cloud sat in the waiting room at the Midgar Sports Center. The cloth wraps around his hands were tight, but did not cut off circulation. He flexed them in preparation as he glanced at the door from under the wet towel that covered his head. Around the room, the various members of the gym had gathered. Cid was sitting on a bench across from him, preparing himself for the grueling minutes ahead. Reno was next to him getting his kit ready for his job as cutman. Zack stood near the door, ready to ward off any reporters that tried to barge into the room. Aerith stood next to him, her arms wrapped close around her waist, as though trying to ward off a nonexistent chill. Barret, Rude, and Tseng stood in a corner, placing private bets with each other. And finally, Tifa sat next to Cloud, her hand on his shoulder as he concentrated, focusing his attention on the fight. Not a word spoken, but mutual support was felt from everyone in the room. Tifa tightened her grip slightly, and Cloud's hand came up to cover hers.

"After this is over, I was thinking we could get some dinner. I know a pretty good place near the gym." Tifa smiled gently.

"I'd like that." Cloud grinned slightly, then chuckled as Barret's voice was heard from the corner.

"Alright, he did it. Pay up." followed by the frustrated groans of Tseng and Rude as they handed over the money. Clouds attention turned away from them as the door opened.

"It's time mister Highwind." Cid nodded at the man, who closed the door.

"Alright Cloud. Time to go." Cloud stood, his eyes narrowing as his concentration deepened. Tifa touched his arm.

"Be careful." Cloud nodded to her, then turned and walked out of the room, and into the hallway.

/

Tifa remained sitting as Cloud left the room. What he had said registered only now in her mind. Dinner? With him? Alone? The questions piled into her brain and her face flushed as she imagined all the thing that could happen. Shaking her head to get control back, she looked up to see Vincent standing there, eyebrow raised. Her faced turned an even brighter shade of red as she realized what he must be thinking.

"You must be thinking of Cloud. I didn't know a human could turn that shade of red." he joked. Tifa covered her cheeks with her hands in a futile attempt to hide her embarrassment. The feeling of Vincents hand on her shoulder brought little of the usual comfort it usually did.

"Tifa, look at me." she looked up, tears beginning to cloud her vision. "There's no shame I loving someone. Just be careful that you're not setting yourself up for a fall." Tifa dropped her gaze to the floor.

"Vincent, why can't these things just be a simple yes or no question?" Vincent shrugged.

"I don't know. And I'm not exactly the person to ask. But then again, I don't think dad can help you with this one either. After all, his own marriage didn't go so well." Tifa giggled softly at the memory of how her fathers last marriage had gone. The man had a bad habit of entering into marriages without thinking, only to end up with a divorce paper slapped into his face. Tifa suddenly found herself praying that she wasn't making a mistake by falling for Cloud.

/

Lucrecia looked into Vincent's office suite, where Yuffie Kisaragi sat at her desk, her fingers flying over the keyboard in front of her. Knocking on the door, she heard the girls pleasant voice call out.

"Come in." opening the door, she stepped through and focused her gaze on the young secretary. "Mister Valentine isn't in right now miss Crescent. But if you want I can tell him you called." Lucrecia shook her head.

"No Yuffie. I'm not here for Vincent. I wanted to talk to you." Yuffie glanced out the door, then at her computer. She sighed before standing and stepping out from behind the desk.

"Alright, what did I do?" the older woman brought her hand up to her chin as she giggled.

"Nothing, you've done nothing wrong. I just wanted to have lunch with you and ask a few questions." Yuffie looked slightly surprised at this.

"A few questions, you're not a reporter in disguise are you?" this time Lucrecia let out a full laugh.

"No, no, I'm not. I just have a few honest questions that will remain between us. Besides, lunch is my treat." Yuffie looked at her for a moment.

"Alright. I'm in. I was getting hungry anyway." Lucrecia smiled at her.

"Good, now come on, we're going to Cisnei's."

/

Kadaj leaned against the wall as he waited for the man to come in and tell him it was time. In front of him his father, Sephiroth, spoke to him softly.

"Remember, this guy has talent, and the heart to win. I want both crushed permanently, you understand?" Kadaj nodded, saving his breath for the ring. "Put him in the fucking hospital, I don't want to hear his name in relation to boxing other than as a tragic loss." Kadaj took a deep breath, then let it out slowly.

"Understood." He said.

"Mister Jones, it's time." Sephiroth nodded to the man, then turned back to his son.

"Remember, I don't care if he's just hospitalized or dead, finish his boxing career tonight." Kadaj grinned as he followed his father and coach through the door.

"I plan to."

/

The commentators voice could be heard as they approached the entrance to the main hall, over powered by the crowd that currently occupied the stands. As they stepped out into the hall, the already deafening roar became an explosion of cheering and applause. Cloud strode down the aisle, his eyes solely focused on the ring. As he stepped into the resin at the bottom of the steps, no thoughts entered his mind. He had entered the place where there was no thought, only instinct. There was no emotion, only training and reaction. As he moved around in his corner, warming himself up further for the coming conflict, he faintly registered the announcers voice.

"Ladies and gentlemen, tonight's main event, a rivalry fight between two already famous gyms. Please bring your eyes to the ring. In the red corner, from Jenova Boxing Gym, weighing in at two hundred fifteen pounds, wearing black and silver trunks, the Grim Reaper, Kadaj Jones!" cheers broke out for the man across the ring. Cloud didn't meet his opponents eyes as the announcer continued.

"And in the blue corner, from Highwind Boxing, weighing in at one hundred and ninety eight pounds, wearing the black and gold that has made him famous, the one and only Spawn of Fenrir, Cloud Strife!" Cloud didn't move, his eyes only now turning to his opponent. As Kadaj's robe came off, the perfect physique starkly contrasting Cloud's scarred body. As the two men came to the center of the ring the differences in size and build became obvious. Kadaj was larger in the body, though taller by a half inch. Cloud had the reach in his broader shoulders and lean physique. As the referee explained the rules the two men stared at each other. Kadaj with hatred, Cloud emotionless, his mind already in the place that had made him the most successful sniper in the marines.

"Alright touch gloves." the ref said. As they touch gloves, Cloud heard Kadaj whisper.

"You'll regret continuing to fight before I'm done with you." Cloud didn't respond, and turned back to walk to his corner. A quick breathe in the corner and he turned to the center of the ring, ready to come out fighting.

**okay, the fight is about to begin, the bell is ready to ring, and both fighters are in their corners. How will the hundred ninety eight pound Cloud do against the two hundred and fifteen pound Kadaj? is the weight difference to much? And what of all these other factors? buckle up and get ready for a crazy ride.**


	12. Chapter 12

**Okay guys, I'm back with the next installment. Thanks for your patience. Just a few things to clear up.**

**Both fighters are heavyweights, which basically means that they are both over 190 pounds. (in the current pro boxing world, the heavyweight class starts at 200 pounds, a ruling passed in 2003, but i like the older classes better.) a 17 pound difference is quite large, and the striking power between the two will differ a large amount. So Cloud is at a significant disadvantage. **

**As for the pace of the story, I'm guess its going to be a long one.**

**sorry if I've been slow in getting new chapters up. I've got at least a dozen different stories that I'm currently working on, so keeping them all going is rather difficult. Especially when you have difficulty keeping them all straight.**

Silence enveloped the ring as both crowd and participants waited for the bell. In his corner, Cloud's focus was reaching its peak. His hands were steady as he let them hang by his side, and his breathing was slow and even. As he focused his gaze on his opponent his world shrank to take in only Kadaj, and the ring, measuring every inconsistency in the tightly stretched canvas. He quickly ceased his observation and focused in on only his opponent. Taking in every minor thing that would give him an advantage.

'CLANG' the sound of the bell set his legs into motion, and he launched himself at Kadaj. Kadaj threw a stiff jab aimed for Clouds face, but the blonde tilted his head to evade the jab by millimeters. A fast hook to Kadaj's ribs set off a chain of fast hooks that travels from the ribs to the face. Kadaj never had a chance to get his guard back up as Cloud pummeled him mercilessly. Hook after hook struck his face, and his shock was evident as one final left sent him straight to the canvas. Cloud backed off and walked to a neutral corner as the referee began counting.

At the count of five Kadaj managed to pull himself off the floor and get into a fighting stance. As the referee motioned for them to resume fighting, Cloud came out of the corner cautiously, knowing that the element of surprise he'd had was long gone. Kadaj lashed out with a jab that bounced off of Cloud's glove, and the blonde responded with a blazing right the brushed Kadaj's ear. The two men settled into trading blows at middle range, neither one scoring a distinctive hit.

As they fought the tension in the hall grew until it could be tasted, and both teams were watching closely, waiting for that one flaw, that one mistake, that could spell victory or defeat. And slowly Cloud found his opportunity. A small gap appeared in Kadaj's defense just below his elbow when he blocked a blow to the head. Cloud took full advantage, feinting to the head, then slamming his fist home into Kadaj's side. Kadaj doubled over and stumbled back. Cloud pressed his advantage even further, striking his opponent twice in the head with a fast left-right combo, then slamming his left into the man's wind. Kadaj's eyes bulged as he took the hit. But Cloud's moment of victory was taken as the bell ending the round sounded in the corner. He frowned as he turned away, back to his own corner. He had been so close to finishing it in the first round. But he dismissed the thought as he sat down in the corner, and settled in to wait for Cid to give him a strategy.

Cid glared across the ring for a moment before turning back to Cloud.

"Alright, the bastard's tougher than I gave him credit for. Now I want you to go out there and wear him down. No more attempts for a one punch k.o. you understand me?" Cloud nodded as he sipped the water that Reno held out for him.

"Yes sir." Cid grinned.

"Good. Aim for his wind. Knock his legs out from underneath him. It'll make him an easier target. Use those body combo's we practiced. And for gods sake, don't let him hit you too much. The prick's got some power to him and I don't want you crippled." Cloud chuckled lightly. "Now, get out there and show him what a Marine is made of."

"Oorah." Cloud whispered as the call of 'seconds out' sounded through the ring.

Kadaj stood and glared across the ring at the only man who could hurt him like he did. He barely registered the advice that his father was giving him, his rage making him blind and deaf to everything. And in his head he was thinking of all the terrible things he could do to this man. Sephiroth watched him with a scowl on his face.

"_If he doesn't beat this punk to within an inch of his life I'll be surprised. It's a good thing I paid off the ref._" glancing out at the referee, he gave a slight nod. The man nodded back, knowing that things were going to get bloody soon. And as the bell rang, Kadaj charged out like a raging bull.

Cloud ducked under a wild hook and drove a fast jab into Kadaj's ribs. But as he pulled back an elbow made contact with the side of his head. He staggered to the side, pushing back his blind fury at the cheap shot so he could focus. But as he turned to face his opponent his gloves were pushed off to the side and a hard right straight landed on his left eye. Shaking it off he pulled his hands back into place and pushed Kadaj away. Slipping to the outside of a jab he wound up a stiff hook. But an elbow met with his brow, opening a deep cut just over the eye.

Cloud staggered slightly as blood dripped into his eye, staining his vision red. Blocking a wild hook, he slipped under the straight that followed, slamming his fist into Kadaj's ribs. He grimaced as Kadaj returned a blow to the side of his head, making his cut worse. Skipping back, Cloud took a moment to gather himself, and switched his style. Up to then he'd been trying to get in close, use his legs to add power. But it was clear to him that the strategy wasn't going to work against Kadaj. As the larger man lunged at him, Cloud danced to the side and drove two blinding jabs into the mans face. As Kadaj turned to face him, a powerful right caught him in the side, and drove his ribs in. Cloud danced back yet again as Kadaj attempted to recover from this sudden change in strategy. A fast jab left Kadaj's head spinning, and a stiff uppercut to his body stole his wind. As Kadaj felt his knees hit the canvas he could barely see. Noise didn't register to him, and the sight of the man who had put him here all but filled his rapidly narrowing vision.

Cloud staggered back, his head ringing from the hits to his head. He could see Cid screaming at him, but he couldn't hear him. His eyes were slowly going in and out of focus as he leaned heavily on the corner post. Seeing Kadaj slowly standing up he shook his head slightly, trying to get rid of the tunnel vision. As he pushed off the corner he slowly made his way towards his opponent. The two men met in the middle, but neither one moved. Tension filled the air once again, and no one dared make a sound, waiting for who would make the first move. But the silence was broken, not by one of the fighters, but by the sound of the bell. The two men looked at each other for a moment before turning and moving back to their corners.

/

Reno worked quickly to staunch the bleeding in the cut above Cloud's eye. He had been quick to dump some water over his head, which had washed away most of the blood, but the cut still bled. As he worked, Barret massaged the man's shoulders, trying to coax some life back into them. Cid knelt in front of his fighter, mildly concerned at the state Cloud had been reduced to, but still proud.

"You're doing damn good boy. No other fighter has lasted two rounds against this guy, and you're on your way to going the full distance. Now when you get in there, bully in and let him have it. Dance away if he starts using elbows and cheap shots, paint him a few times to pull his guard up, then get back in there and pound him. I want you coming out of this fight with your head held high." Cloud raised his head slightly, and what Cid saw in the young mans eyes sent a sudden chill up his spine. Reno noticed as well.

"Cloud, forget it. Now's not the time." Cloud whispered something, that only Cid could hear, and the old trainers eyes widened. Reno looked at him.

"What did he say, what did he say?" Cid shook his head.

"Alright kid, you do what you have to. Just stay standing." Cloud gave a slight nod as the call for seconds out came. As Cloud stood and the seconds moved out of the ring Reno tapped Cid's shoulder.

"What did he say?" Cid glanced at him.

"He said 'Jessie's dead, and it's distracting me. Semper Fi.' he's gonna cut loose."

**Oh joy! another cliffhanger. But what will happen when Cloud 'cuts loose'? the next chapter's coming. please review. I like hearing what you guys think.**


	13. Chapter 13

**Hey guys, been a little while since my last update, but I'm back. This chapter is a little shorter than the others but there is a purpose to it. Please forgive me for taking so long. I really am trying.**

Cloud stepped out as the bell sounded. His head was still foggy, but he could see more clearly than before. His body felt sluggish, but was responding even faster than ever. As Kadaj threw a fast jab at him he moved to the right, slipping under the jab and throwing a fast hook that flew just over Kadaj's head. The two squared up against each other, and began throwing punches that made the air in the ring whistle. The audience had fallen silent as the two fighters slashed at each other, holding their breath for the first contact of the round. A minute passed, then two, and still no solid contact. Every strike was missing by fractions of an inch. One mistake could spell disaster, and the first man to back down would be hit. Finally, with ten seconds to go, a strike was landed. Kadaj staggered back, his jaw already swelling from the force of the blow. Cloud charged forward, looking to take advantage of the blow, only to meet a stiff right that sent him reeling. The two swiftly came together and began trading blows, each hit shaking the receivers body. They were interrupted by the bell, but the referee had to throw his body between them to make them stop. As Cloud stepped back into his corner and sat down, Cid knelt down in front of his fighter and began dabbing him down with a wet rag.

/

Kadaj collapsed in the corner, unable to stand any longer. Sephiroth glared at him.

"I told you to cripple him, and you can't even do that." Kadaj lifted his head and looked at his father.

"He's stronger than I'd anticipated. I'll finish him in the next round." Sephiroth cast a skeptical eye across the ring. He could see something starting to change about the blonde fighter, and was beginning to see the boys true potential coming out. The fact worried him, and as he glanced down at his son, he could see that Kadaj was reaching his limits.

"You'd better. If you don't put him down in the next round, you won't do it at all." Kadaj looked up at him.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Sephiroth shook his head and left the ring.

/

Cloud glared slightly at Cid, who glared right back.

"You awake?" Cloud nodded, clearing his head. Cid saw it and slapped his cheeks lightly. "That help?" Cloud nodded again.

"Yeah, how am I doing?" Cid glanced across the ring.

"You're doing okay, but you're all over the place. Get your focus and keep it with you. You're faster than this guy, and you hit harder in spite of the weight difference, so use that to your advantage." Cloud nodded, standing as the call of seconds out sounded through the ring. Cid patted him on the shoulder.

"Take the fucker out." he said. Cloud didn't respond as Reno put his mouthpiece in, and he turned to face Kadaj just as the bell rang. The other man charged out of his corner as fast as he could, his rage lending additional speed. But his first blow hit nothing but air. His opponent had disappeared from his vision. Stars suddenly burst through his vision as a powerful jab knocked his jaw to the left. As he turned, trying to find his assailant, he met with a hard straight. Jumping away from his opponent, Kadaj focused in on his opponents left shoulder, the one that would tell all. He moved towards Cloud, but met with a jab far sooner than he should have. Drawing back, he started trying to assess the situation. Cloud followed him closely. Too closely for Kadaj to see anything other than the flurry of strikes that came his way. Between blocking blows and moving back, Kadaj couldn't get enough space to see what was so off about Cloud's fighting. He winced as a hard right rattle his head, and a stiff left buried itself in his gut. Stumbling back, he tried to get a glimpse of his opponent, but was unable to move far enough. As he stumbled, and took more blows he tried desperately to see what was making the punches so odd.

Sephiroth frowned as he watched the beating his fighter was getting. He could see something off about Strife, but couldn't put his finger on it. His eyes just weren't keeping up with the tall blonde. Failing to see what was so off about the man he gave up and focused on his own fighter. Kadaj had been backed into the corner and was covering up as Cloud continued to pound blow after blow into his sides and stomach. Sephiroth growled in frustration as he watched. He knew this man, so why was it so hard to figure him out?

/

Kadaj was shifting his arms as rapidly as possible to try to block the many blows raining down on his body. Finally he could take it no more, and charged forward, his arms wrapping around the blonde in a clinch. Cloud didn't even pause, his body continuing to rotate into his blows. Kadaj continued to pull the smaller man into him in a desperate attempt to stop his blows, until the referee jumped in to pull them apart. As Kadaj managed to get his focus back he heard the bell ring, and a sigh of relief escaped him as he turned and staggered back to his corner.

Sinking down onto the stool Kadaj gratefully took a drink of water, rinsing his mouth before spitting into the bucket that was held up for him. Sephiroth stood next to him, quietly contemplating the young man across the ring.

"Something's off about him, but I can't see what." Kadaj looked up slightly.

"Yeah. I can't...see it...either." he gasped. Sephiroth glared at him slightly before resuming his observation.

"What could it be?" he whispered.

/

Cid looked across the ring as Cloud washed out his mouth.

"Nice job so far, but don't rest on your laurels just yet. The bastard's sure to see what's different when you come out, so your advantage will be gone. But make sure you don't let him get his rhythm back or you'll be the one in pain." Cloud nodded, focusing on his breathing, and forcing it back to normal. A deep breath through the nose, two counts. Exhale through the mouth, four counts. Over and over while waiting for the bell. As he glared across the ring he could see Kadaj desperately trying to recover his own wind.

"I know Cid. No holding back, no mercy. Just like in the war, huh?" Cid nodded.

"Abso-fucking-lutly."he said.

/

Kadaj stood shakily as the call sound for seconds out. As he glanced at his father he saw the orders in the man's eyes. _Destroy_. Kadaj frowned. Looking back at Cloud as the bell rang he took a quick glance at the fighters entire form as he advanced. As he drew into range Cloud blasted his head back with a jab that felt more like a straight. Kadaj's eyes widened. Looking carefully as Cloud let another jab fly, he noted the hand closest to him was off. His eyes widened in realization just as the jab struck him in the face.

**Please forgive me for the cliffhanger, but this is a bit of a challenge to the readers. What do you think is strange about Clouds fighting? What could be throwing Kadaj and Sephiroth so badly off kilter? If you think you have an idea, then leave your answer in a review and those that guess correctly will be mentioned in the authors notes in the next chapter, along with the option of asking for a special side story or providing a direction for the future of this story. I will reserve the right to reject ideas if they are too out of line with the overall theme of the story. Thanks. Please let me know if there is anything that I'm doing wrong.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Okay guys, I'm back. I've been kinda preoccupied with reading the 'Harry Potter' books for the first time, and I've been spending way too much time on Lord of the Rings online. Throw in all the other stories I'm trying to work on, and you've got a serious difficulty. Anyway. Finally getting on with this. Enjoy.**

As Kadaj's head snapped back he felt a small sense of accomplishment. Pulling back he managed to dodge the right jab that snapped at his head, as well as the left straight that followed it.

"_So that's it. No wonder it threw me off so much._" he thought. "_He was fighting southpaw._" ducking under a vicious hook, he fired a powerful right at Cloud ribs. As the punch neared the blonde's body, Kadaj's world suddenly exploded into stars. As he fell to the canvas he could faintly hear the announcer screaming something about a blazing right straight.

"_It was a right jab you idiot._" he thought. Then he caught a glimpse of Cloud's feet. The left foot was closer. "_What? When did he switch?_" Kadaj's mind struggled to grasp just how Cloud had suddenly managed to switch as he hit the canvas, and the referee began the count. Kadaj stood as quickly as he could, and took up his fighting stance. As he stepped forward, he watched carefully as Cloud crouched slightly. Stepping in, Kadaj threw a vicious hook that would have taken the mans head off, had it connected. Cloud had duck under it. A short upper blazed past Kadaj's face, the wind coming off the glove causing his hair to brush against his face. Stepping back he tried to circle the smaller man, stepping to the right. He was met by Cloud in an orthodox stance. As he skipped back to his original position, he noticed that Cloud had shifted to a neutral stance that placed his feet an even distance away from his opponent. As Kadaj danced to his left he found himself facing Cloud in a southpaw stance. Kadaj shook his head, trying to figure it out.

To the side, Sephiroth slammed his fists on the canvas of the ring.

"_How did I not see it before? A switch-hitter! He had to turn into a fucking switch-hitter!_" Sephiroth growled as he watched Kadaj dance around the younger man, trying to find some way in. Then it happened, Cloud suddenly charged into Kadaj's chest and began firing powerful uppercuts and hooks into Kadaj's body at super-close range. Kadaj fired a short upper, but missed as Cloud jumped back and fired two long left jabs into the other mans face. The two began dancing around each other, slowly getting faster and faster until the audience could barely keep up. As Sephiroth watched he kept losing track of Cloud. A loud pop was heard and Kadaj was sent reeling back, blood streaming from his nose.

Cloud stopped.

Kadaj stared at him as the blonde fighter assumed an infighters stance, with his gloves tucked closely in front of his face. Kadaj stared incredulously.

"_Peek-a-boo style defense? You've got to be kidding me, nothing easier to crack for me._" Kadaj lowered his head and charged in, his blows slamming into Clouds guard. As the older man struck harder and faster, Cloud gave no signs of letting up.

Kadaj began to feel frustrated. His punches usually broke through this particular defensive style with no sweat. But now it seemed he was ineffective against the smaller man. As he swung a powerful right, and blow snapped his head back. Recovering his wits, he saw that Cloud had not left his stance. Stepping back slightly he glared at the blonde. How was this guy still standing? He focused as hard as he could on a way to break Clouds guard.

Cloud smirked behind his gloves. He had stood against Kadaj's best and his defense hadn't broken. Now it was time for the real test. Opening his guard he lowered his head, and charged at his opponent. He met with Kadaj in the center of the ring. Kadaj smirked confidently. Infighting was his specialty. But as Cloud slammed the first strong hook into Kadaj's side, his confidence vanished.

In the stands, Zack watched carefully as Cloud battered his opponent. Sitting next to him was Aerith, with Tifa next to her. Tifa's hands had been clenched in her skirt the entire fight, and her jaw had been incredibly tense. In her mind she was begging Cloud to be careful, though she knew it would do no good. She watched as Cloud sent shot after shot into his opponents ribs. Her eyes widened as Kadaj's jaw dropped in pain, his ribs finally giving out under the assault. A swift uppercut and Kadaj lay sprawled on the canvas. Tifa could barely keep from screaming out with joy as the referee started the count. Zack glanced at her, before smiling knowingly at Aerith. Looking back to the ring, his grin grew wider as he watched Kadaj fail to rise. The fight was over, and Cloud had won.

/

Cloud looked down at his fallen opponent as Cid dashed into the ring.

"YA DID IT, KID, YA FUCKING DID IT!" he shouted. Cloud didn't respond as he made his way out of the ring. His corner team followed as he walked back to the waiting room andsat down where he had been before the fight. Reno knelt next to him and began working on the cut over his eye. Cloud winced as Reno worked with a cotton swab dabbed in petroleum jelly to stop the bleeding. Cid was grinning like the Cheshire cat near the doorway, and Vincent, Zack, and Rude had come down from the crowd to congratulate the young fighter. But seeing the rapidly swelling bruise over his left eye, and the cut over his right, their congratulations had died in their throats. Reminded just how hard Clouds fight had been, they watched as Reno worked his magic. A light knock on the door caught their attention. Vincent pulled the door open a fraction, and saw Tifa and Aerith standing there. He opened the door and pulled them in before the mass of reporters that surrounded them could push their way in. Tifa gasped upon seeing the condition Cloud's face was in, and immediately set to work helping Reno bring the swelling down, as the redhead had already managed to stop the bleeding. Zack glanced over at Aerith, a slow smile spreading across his face.

"I think he's covered." he whispered to her. Aerith stifled a giggle.

"Yeah, and who knows, this may lead somewhere wonderful for them." she whispered back. Zack grinned as he put his arm around her.

"No less than us." he said as he reached into his pocket, pulling out a small, velvet covered box. Aerith gasped as she saw it.

"Is that what I think it is?" she asked. Zack smiled and nodded as Aerith picked up the engagement ring.

"I'd wanted to wait for a more appropriate time, but I just couldn't wait any longer." he grinned and shrugged sheepishly as Aerith looked up at him.

"Do you really mean it?" she asked. Zack sighed.

"Yeah babe. I mean it." Aerith couldn't speak, so instead she threw her arms around him, breaking down and crying into his chest. Zack just held her.

"Can I count this as a yes?" he asked after a moment. Aerith looked up at him, and managed to nod. Zack pulled her close and kissed the top of her head as she continued to cry. Looking over at Cloud, Zack saw that Tifa was giving him a light massage, and that the blonde seemed to be falling asleep on the bench. '_Well, I guess he'll have a shock later on._' he thought before pulling his new fiancé out of the door and closing it behind him.

**Okay guys I'm finally back. Unfortunately no one could guess the difference in Clouds fighting so I guess I'll have to try an easier problem next time. For those of you who don't know what a southpaw or a switch-hitter I've included a glossary of some of the terms in the story just below this. I love hearing from you all, and look forward to continuing this story.**

_Bell- a simple bell used to signal the beginning and end of each round._

_Bob and Weave- a simple tactic used to cause an opponent to miss his shots. Executed by moving the head out of the way of the incoming strike and following with the body._

_Clinch- getting in close and wrapping the arms around your opponent to get a moment of respite from the battle._

_Cloth wraps- long strips of cloth, usually cotton, that are wrapped around the hand and wrist to prevent injury to the knuckles and wrist as well as keeping the glove on._

_Contract- an agreement to fight, usually for a certain amount of money._

_Corner- the corner of the ring where a fighter rests between rounds. His corner team will usually tend to any cuts or swelling on his face as well as try to advise him on a pattern of attack for the next round._

_Counter- a blow that occurs as the opponent is punching. Because the opponent is moving into the punch, the counter is often more damaging than a regular blow._

_Cutman- a member of a corner team who is in charge of stopping bleeding and reducing swelling. Usually has a kit containing various coagulants, petroleum jelly, and cotton swabs._

_Debut match- the first fight that a professional fighter has._

_Double end bag- a round bag with elastic ropes attached to the top and bottom. Used to train a fighter to bob and weave._

_Gloves- padded gloves with no fingers that a boxer wears when fighting. 8-ounce gloves are used in the professional ring, and 16-ounce gloves, which have more padding, are used in amateur bouts and sparring._

_Headgear- essentially a padded helmet. Used to protect the head in amateur bouts and sparring._

_Headhunter- one of two meanings. One, a fighter who consistently punches at the head. Such a fighter is easy to predict and may be vulnerable to fighters who are able to protect the head effectively. Two, a fighter who seeks to cripple or otherwise permanently injure other fighters, preventing them from ever fighting again._

_Heavy bag- a large sandbag suspended from the ceiling used to give a fighter the feeling of hitting something. These bags range from 40 to 200 pounds in weight._

_Hook- a punch that loops around from the side, aiming for the side of the head or the ribs, liver, and side._

_Jab- a straight punch thrown from the forward hand. Very fast, but usually light. Used most often to judge distance or to cause an opponent to keep his distance._

_Medicine ball- a large ball weighing from 5 to 20 pounds. Used to strengthen rotation and to accustom the stomach region to being hit._

_One-two- a jab followed by a straight._

_Orthodox- the usual stance of the boxer. Left foot and left hand lead, while the right hand is held farther back._

_Range- the length of a fighters arm, or the distance from one fighter to another. Various ranges lead to different kinds of fights._

_Super Close- this range usually has the two fighter shoulder to shoulder, with power punches being thrown at distances of as little as one inch._

_Close- the fighters heads are usually close, but not close enough to butt heads. Short, compact punches are the name of the game here._

_Middle- this range is the brawlers paradise. All punches can be utilized here, and all have the potential to be devastating._

_Long- long straights and looping hooks rule this range, though uppercuts can be challenging._

_Super long- only straight punches here, and only fighters with very long arms can pull this range off._

_Ring- a square ring that is roped in on all four sides. Size of the ring may vary from 9x9 to 12x12 feet._

_Road work- mostly self explanatory. Running._

_Robe- some fighters enter the ring wearing a large robe. The robe serves a dual purpose in keeping the fighter warm as he approaches the fight, and can show who he is._

_Rounds- a round is a period of time for continuous fighting. Round length and number of rounds is determined by how good the fighter is. The current professional length of a round is three minutes, and the number of rounds is limited to 12. In this story however, an older statute of fifteen round fights applies._

_Southpaw- a left handed fighter who stands with his right foot and hand leading as opposed to the orthodox left hand._

_Sparring- practice fighting._

_Speed bag- a small bag suspended at head height. Usually filled with air. Used to train hand eye coordination and rythm._

_Switch-hitter- a fighter who can switch between orthodox and southpaw styles at will. Extremely rare, as the fighter must be able to use both hand equally well. Most trainers do not or cannot train their boxers against these fighters because of their rarity._

_Tape- used to wrap the hands, non reusable._

_Tapes- videos of a boxers matches. Used to study an opponent and form a strategy._

_Ten count- when a fighter is knocked down, he has ten seconds to stand up and take a fighting stance. If he fails to both rise and take his stance he is considered knocked out, and loses._

_Weigh-in- a meeting before the match to make sure both fighters are within the proper weight limit. If one fighter is above the limit he cannot fight._

_Weight class- a method of dividing fighters so that a smaller fighter doesn't end up fighting an opponent twice his size._

**Hope this helps clarify some of the terminology used in this story, and sorry for putting it up so late.**


	15. Chapter 15

**Okay guys, I know that this is just a content update, but I am trying to get the 16th chapter finished. I've had a lot going on recently, My job has been stressful, as we are preparing for the Christmas rush, and I am getting ready to start training for two big Taekwondo tournaments that are coming up. Add to this, the stress of trying to keep up with my music and the novel that I am trying to write as well as the two dozen stories that I've got going, it's a trying situation. So I hope that you will bear with me as I attempt to work through this. Thank you for your understanding.**

Barely three hours had gone by and the Highwind gang had already accosted a large private room in the back of Cissnei's. The redheaded owner had joined them for their celebration after she closed the place and now giggled as a drunk Rufus tried to put the moves on her. Cloud leaned against the wall at his back, his good eye taking in the celebration. His other eye was covered with an icepack to keep the swelling down, and several bandages covered the cut that still threatened to break loose. While outwardly he remained calm and passive as he sipped the glass of tea in his hand, inwardly he was leaping for joy at his victory. Next to him, Tifa rested her head against his shoulder, her eyes slowly closing as the excitement of the day caught up with her.

"Strife! Vincent's gonna take you and his sister home. Get some sleep, and rest for a few days. I don't want to see your face at the gym for at least three, you understand?" Cloud grinned slightly.

"Yes sir." he said as Vincent lifted Tifa off his shoulder, carrying her bridal fashion out the door. Cloud followed closely, unsure of where Vincent had parked his car. As the man reached his vehicle he turned to Cloud.

"Take shotgun, I'll put her in the back. We've got some stuff to talk about." Cloud rolled his eyes slightly.

"Is this where you threaten me with a most painful death if I hurt her?" Vincent chuckled. Cloud's face may have been completely serious, but there was a lighter tone underneath that one would have to have looked for to notice that indicated when he was not being completely serious.

"Nah, I don't need to threaten you. We both know who'd win that fight." it was true, they did both know that the winner would not be Vincent. But the fact didn't keep Vincent from teasing.

"So what is there to talk about?" Cloud asked, his curiosity starting to get the better of him as he watched Vincent slip Tifa into the back seat. Straightening up once Tifa's seatbelt was in place, he sighed heavily.

"I need some advice, Cloud. And I can't talk to the other guys about it. You seem to be the only one able to keep a cool head around girls so that makes you the best option." Cloud studied him as he walked around to the drivers side door. Leaning on the car roof, he glanced around the parking lot.

"So what kind of problem do you have?" Vincent glanced over before slipping into the drivers seat, Cloud following suit on the passenger side.

"It's my new secretary. She's everything I'm not, basically my polar opposite." Cloud nodded slightly as he listened.

"Go on." he said. Vincent ran a hand through his hair as he pulled out into the nearly empty street.

"Okay, so where I'm tall enough to play for most basketball teams, she barely comes up to my shoulder. And where I'm usually pretty reserved, she's that most outgoing person I've ever seen. And that's saying a lot." Cloud chuckled.

"Yeah. Sounds like you've got it bad. So what's the problem here?" Vincent licked his lips nervously.

"There's a ten year age gap there. She's only twenty, and I'm thirty. I don't see how it could work out." Cloud nodded calmly.

"So where's the problem in all of this? I don't see anything that matters about a ten year age difference. Vincent was silent as he drove.

"_Maybe Cloud's right. I am thinking to much about this. Maybe this is what I need, like everyone's saying._" he thought.

/

Yuffie lay on her bed as she thought about the conversation she had with Lucrecia. What the older woman had said to her had been, to say the least, mildly concerning to her. And it had forced to look a few things square in the eye. As she thought back to that conversation over lunch, she tried to recall every detail of Lucrecia's face.

_-Flashback-_

_The ride was quiet, and nothing was said until they had been seated in the restaurant and had their food in front of them. Lucrecia had suddenly opened up._

"_I noticed that you've been getting a lot closer to Vincent lately." she stated. Yuffie nodded as she sipped at the soda she had gotten._

"_Yes, but why would that concern you?" Lucrecia gave her a look that made a chill run up her spine._

"_I've always considered Vincent to be almost a little brother. Unfortunately we tried to take it beyond that." Yuffie gave her a curious look. "We became lovers. He'd had a few girlfriends before we tried our thing, but none of them had what we had. The years before. Most of the others dropped the relationship when they got to know him, the rest got dropped for various reasons. Cheating, being underage, that sort of thing. But I was the last. Vincent and I have been kind of edgy around each other since. We took something wonderful that we had, our friendship, and very nearly tore it apart because of what we decided to try." Lucrecia paused here, obviously shaken even by simply talking about what she had nearly lost. Yuffie's heart went out to her, but she was unsure of what to say. The older woman gave her no chance to say anything._

"_I've watched as he has tried to avoid making the same mistake over and over. He's shut himself off so much that it takes a great deal just to establish a simple friendship with him. If you plan on going after him, then I suggest that you get ready for a long haul." Yuffie just stared at her for a moment before Lucrecia stood, pulling her purse onto her shoulder._

"_I don't want to see him turn into a lonely old man, but I also don't want to see him get hurt. Just be careful with him, okay?" Yuffie nodded dumbly as the older woman strode out of the restaurant, stopping to pay the bill._

_-Flashback End-_

Knowing that she had the former flames permission didn't make things easier for Yuffie, as she now had a dozen new problems to think about. How could she possibly be the woman that Vincent needed? Did he even want a woman? She puzzled over her problems until she finally fell asleep.

/

Zack collapsed on his bed, his thoughts completely on Aerith. He thought back to when they had first met, nearly ten years ago. He had seen her across the schoolyard and had simply dismissed her until the football he and his friends had been playing catch with started going farther and farther in that direction. Before he knew it he had crash landed right in front of her. He had struck his head when he fell, and had been knocked senseless. Aerith had knelt next to him and held him in her arms. Ever since that day Zack had always joked that she'd hugged him before she even knew his name. He had been a junior in highschool then, seventeen years old and trying to grow a beard. At the time he'd only managed some thick, patchy stubble. When he'd asked Aerith out for the first time she'd thrown her arms around him and kissed him. When she pulled away she had added a condition, that he stay clean shaven. Zack chuckled as he remembered it. He'd kept his promise, though when he went into the military he'd occasionally ended up with a beard due to the amount of time he'd had to spend away from anywhere with a razor. When he thought about it, most of those times had been with Cloud. He would be showing Aerith's picture to the blonde while the younger man was either working on his rifle, or while he was using his knife to scrape off sections of his rapidly growing beard to keep the neat goatee he occasionally wore. When Zack had left the Corps he'd found that Aerith had waited for him, something that many of the guys he'd seen weren't able to say, mostly from the army. Zack had always found it odd, and kind of sad, that while the majority of the girls who dated or married Marines stayed loyal to their men, the opposite was true for the girls who dated Army men. Most of the Army men he knew had either gotten the dreaded 'dear John' letter, or had come home to find their girl in the arms of another man. Zack had been the one to comfort a lot of those men. They had always remarked how lucky Marines were in their girls. Zack would just shrug and stay silent.

But now he had a problem on his hands. In his pocket a letter was burning a hole with news for Cloud from Angeal, and the problem was how to find the right time and place to tell the younger fighter.

**Okay, so now Zack has a bit of back story. For those of you who prefer the Army to the Marines, I mean no disrespect, the idea that Army men lost their girls more than Marines is simply something that I wanted to use from Zack's perspective. I have no idea whether it is true or not. I would assume that the rate for that kind of thing is about even for all branches of the military. So please take this at face value and enjoy the story. Please leave a review, and I'll try to keep em' coming.**


	16. Chapter 16

**Alright guys, sorry for taking so long. Stress levels have been high, you know how it is. Enjoy.**

Cloud was silent as he stared at the sleeping figure of his adopted son. The bruises from his fight a few days ago were slowly fading away, and the cuts had closed and were healing rapidly. As he watched the boy shift in his sleep, his thoughts drifted to a place they had gone to many nights before.

'_The boy needs a mother._' it certainly wasn't the first time he had thought about the problem, but he had been so caught up trying to find Jessie that he had pushed the issue to the back of his mind. But now that he knew Jessie was dead, the fact that he was woefully out of practice when it came to the dating game was coming rapidly to the forefront.

'_It's been too long. I can't re-enter that world anymore._' he thought as he pushed himself off of the door frame, softly closing the behind him as he walked out to the kitchen of the small apartment. Sitting down at the table, he pulled the cup of coffee he had poured earlier closer to him before lifting it to his lips to take a sip. A frown marred his features as he looked out the kitchen window that offered a view of the high-rise across the street.

'_What about Tifa?_' he thought. '_She might be a good mother. But aside from the one dinner we had after the fight, we haven't really done much together. And I still owe her another._' he let out a sigh as he rubbed his brow. Things were getting too complicated for him, so he reached for his cup of coffee.

/

Zack was woken up by the sound of knocking at his door. Irritated at the disturbance, he threw back his covers and stomped towards the front door. A glance through the peephole revealed the last person he expected at that time. Slowly opening the door, he took in his girlfriends figure.

"Aerith, what are you doing here at this hour?" The young nurse was trembling violently and seemed ready to run at a moments notice, but she let out a breath before looking Zack in the eye.

"Can I come in? I need to talk to you." Zack's stomach suddenly seemed to twist in on itself. He'd heard those words once before, with his first girlfriend, and they had preceded the breakup. He moved to let Aerith in, but refused to look her in the eye as he tried to rack his brain for what might have caused the woman now sitting down in his kitchen to want to break up with him. But everything he could come up with seemed completely ludicrous. The silence held sway for several minutes while Zack brewed some coffee. When he finally set the mugs down on the table and sat down across from his girlfriend, Zack's nerves were just about shot. He was about to resign himself to the fate of losing the woman he loved. Looking at her out of the corner of his eye as he stared out the window next to his table, He attempted to brace himself for whatever was about to come.

"Zack, you love me right?" Aerith's voice cut through the silence, as well as the fog of questions clouding Zack's brain.

"Yeah. More than anything." He replied. Aerith seemed to take some comfort from the statement.

"And you'll always love me no matter what, right?" Zack raised an eyebrow. The line of questioning seemed to point towards something other than a breakup, but he couldn't be sure.

"Aerith, what's bothering you?" Zack cut off the questioning decisively, only to see Aerith become more uncertain than before.

"About a week ago, I noticed that I'd missed my period." Zack's eyebrow raised another fraction, as the gears in his mind began to take flight.

"Aerith, what are you trying to tell me?" he asked, almost not wanting to hear the answer. But the next words out of her mouth confirmed all his suspicions.

"Zack, I'm pregnant." Zack's eyebrows were now nearing his hairline as his still tired brain failed to keep up with the news he had just received. And with a muttered oath, Zack fell to the floor, unconscious.

/

Sephiroth glared down at the man in the hospital bed, anger and disappointment blazing in his eyes. The thought that his own son couldn't put down the one man who could challenge him was infuriating. Not only that, but the fact that his son could possibly be injured to this extent rattled his confidence more than anything else ever had. Picking up the clipboard at the foot of the bed, he ran his eyes over the list of injuries the doctors had found.

'_Compound fractures in the right hand, three broken ribs two cracked on the right side, two broken four cracked on the left. Left cheekbone smashed, jaw broken. Left side lung punctured by broken rib, causing internal bleeding. Severe concussion, possible detached retina. Estimated physical recovery, six to seven weeks. Return to boxing career, doubtful._' Looking at the list of injuries, he felt a sense of nostalgia. He had visited the Strife boy hospital room after the fight that had thrown him out of Jenova boxing, and the list of injuries had been nearly identical, with only a few variances. The doctor had assured Sephiroth that Strife would likely never see the inside of a ring again. But the blonde had come back, and stronger than ever. The fact was enough to make his head spin. He had been surprised when the boy had come back into the ring, but had seen the effect the injuries had on him. The boy had lost five fights in a row, two of them to the Fair child. Sephiroth had been quick to make a move against Strife when he won his first fight in ages against some no name with stunning ease, and had gunned down the owner of the gym in a drive-by shooting that remained unsolved as the shooter had been shot and then fitted with a pair of cement shoes that took him to the bottom of a nearby lake. Threats and warnings had followed until Strife ha joined the one gym that Sephiroth didn't dare threaten, Highwind Boxing. The one attempt at threatening the gym had been met ruthlessly with a promise of the entire Marine corps coming down on Jenova boxing if any more threats were issued against them. The arrival of a large group of active Marines in town had shown how much pull the old captain still had, and had shut down any thoughts of further threats. But it hadn't stopped the challenges, and those were welcomed with a fierceness that almost frightened the fighters at Jenova. And now, as he stared down at the broken body of his son, Sephiroth came to a decision, and his hands trembled in anticipation of what was to come.

/

Vincent hadn't been expecting Yuffie to come in to work that day, but when she did he was no less appreciative. As he watched the younger woman preforming her tasks he found himself entranced by various things about her. The way her hands moved across her keyboard, the way she chewed her lip when thinking about something, or the occasional glances at him that caused their eyes to meet. Vincent was beginning to wonder if he really did think of her as a potential girlfriend. Yuffie herself did not seem averse to the idea, as she would often give him a quick smile when their eyes met. And Vincent seemed to be able to find fewer and fewer reasons not to go out with her aside from the fact that she worked for him, a fact that had never really stopped him before.

"Mr. Valentine, we just received a call from Mr. Highwind. He wants us at the gym right away." Vincent looked up from his desk to see Yuffie standing in the doorway.

"Did it sound urgent?" Yuffie's faced was worried.

"Very, he sounded like he was very worried about something." Vincent nodded tersely.

"Then grab your notepad and pencil. We're going down to the gym. And better grab a coat, it's getting cold out." he said as he stood up. Stepping around his desk, he grabbed at his field jacket, a remnant of his days in Cid's unit. Missing it the first grab, he reached back and snagged the heavy material. As he turned around, he noticed Yuffie leaning on the doorframe, her notepad and a pencil in one hand, his keys in the other. Stepping up to her, he took the keys from her hand, but got caught staring into her eyes. As he caught himself she stepped away, in the direction of the outer door.

"Come on boss, Cid won't be happy in we're late." she called. Vincent shook his head before following, but the question still rang in his mind.

'_Was she really staring at me like that?'_

**Yes, I'll figure out what's next, and I'll post it when it's finished.**


	17. authors note

Okay guys, after receiving a review from a certain party, and reading through the story again myself, I have come to the conclusion that a rewrite may be necessary. I've opened a poll on my page to determine whether or not you guys think a rewrite is necessary, so if you will pop over there and vote, I can get an idea as to whether you guys would like more detail to the story. Thanks, and I appreciate you're support.


End file.
